We’re only days away from the start of the 2025 NFL season, and the importance of this campaign for the Chicago Bears cannot be overstated. While expectations are reasonably high and excitement is at a level not seen in at least half a decade, there remains one major cause for concern if you’re a Bears fan, or more specifically, if you’re general manager Ryan Poles.
Much of the Bears’ depth chart is set in stone, but where there is still a 300-plus pound question mark is at the left tackle spot. We still don’t know who will be protecting Caleb Williams’ blindside this season, and your guess is as good as mine as to who will be holding that spot down throughout the year. Even Ryan Poles doesn’t have a solid grasp on what to expect from this oh-so-important position.
“They’re all on different planes, and that’s been the most challenging part of it,” Poles told Sean Hammond of The Chicago Tribune. “Right now we just want one of those guys to take it and play free and not to lose the job but to take the job. That’s what we’re looking for as we go down the stretch here.”
The problem here is that there isn’t much stretch left. The start of the regular season is just eight days away, and not one of the four options — Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, Kiran Amegadjie or Theo Benedet — have yet to ‘take it.’
Poles went on to explain that each of these four players are at different points in their respective careers, and bring different attributes — both good and bad — to the table. And that makes the evaluation process incredibly difficult.
Ryan Poles Provides Insight on Each of Four Possible Starters
Heading into the offseason, the left tackle spot was Braxton Jones’ to lose. Even though he would be returning from a season-ending ankle injury, the Bears didn’t overtly address the position in the offseason like they did at both guard spots and at center. Yes, Ozzy Trapilo was selected in the 2nd Round of the NFL Draft, but that by no means meant that the rookie from Boston College would be ready to start by the time the season began.
Now as August turns to September, it sounds like Jones is still the leader in the clubhouse. The problem is, the 26-year-old tackle isn’t back to 100 percent just yet.
“So you have Braxton, and you’re trying to evaluate a guy that’s coming back from a pretty significant injury,” Poles said. “And then looking at last year’s tape as kind of the bar, can he get to that point and better? But he’s not quite there yet. He’s closing in on it.”
Unfortunately, Braxton Jones at less than 100 percent still might provide the Bears more stability than the other options in the room.
“The person he’s competing with (Ozzy Trapilo) is a person that’s never played in the league versus Kiran (Amegadjie), who didn’t have his first year, coming from a smaller school. And then Theo (Benedet) enters the conversation, who from a length standpoint may not have everything but from a foot speed and toughness (standpoint) has a lot of things that you like.”
In time, the job will belong to Ozzy Trapilo, and in the opening week or so of training camp, it looked as if he was primed to earn the job before the regular season began. But Trapilo’s progress slowed to the point that it forced the Bears to insert Benedet into the competition when previously it had been a three-man race.
Is Braxton Jones Ready For The Responsibility?
The interior of the Bears offensive line was so disgustingly bad in 2024, it provided some cover for Braxton Jones, who did have his share of shortcomings throughout the year. In fairness, Jones was arguably the most consistent player in that five-man group last year, and he has performed reasonably well over his first three NFL seasons considering he’s a 5th Round selection who was unheralded as a high school prospect and played at Southern Utah in the FCS.
There are certainly worse starting left tackles sprinkled around the league than Braxton Jones. Any characterization where he was among the worst in the league last season are inaccurate. Per Pro Football Focus, of all 81 qualified tackles last season, Jones was ranked 22nd-best in the NFL.
This year, Braxton Jones’ shortcomings will get national attention, especially if the Bears are playing meaningful football late into the year. The rest of the line figures to be rock solid. There were no position battles for any of the other four spots. Accordingly, Jones figures to be on a relatively short leash.
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