Ideally, there would be greater clarity as the second preseason game approaches, but the competition at left tackle for the Chicago Bears continues. Braxton Jones has lingered as the favorite to win the job, despite missing some time recently with an injury, and he'd be the starter if Week 1 was on Sunday.
The competition was narrowed this week, with Jones and Theo Benedet getting the first-team reps during practice. Jedrick Wills' rough preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns seems to have removed him from consideration, and Kiran Amegadjie wasn't a whole lot better.
However, Ben Johnson made it clear when he announced Jones and Benedet would get the starter reps at left tackle that the competition remains wide open.
Ahead of Saturday's game between the two teams, the Bears had a joint practice against the Cincinnati Bengals. In his brief set of takeaways from the session, Adam Jahns of CHGO wrote "LT is Braxton Jones' job to lose."
Not that Jones' status as the starting left tackle was a question, but it was notable to have a reporter state it so directly.
Bears' analyst brings legit remaining question in LT battle to light
In his takeaways from the Bears' joint practice against the Bengals, if only somewhat by default right now, Chris Emma of 104.3 The Score also professed that Jones is the favorite to start at left tackle,
Emma also brought forth the real remaining question in the position battle.
"There hasn’t been a clear winner in the left tackle competition as the Bears have hoped. Jones and Benedet mixed into that role Thursday. Jones seems to be the sure favorite. The greater question is who becomes the backup?"
Jones appears to be fully healthy after missing the aforementioned time. But his track record says that could be short-lived, so what is the Bears' plan behind him on the depth chart? All that's at stake is being able to protect Caleb Williams' blindside as well as possible if something happens to Jones.
The left tackle job is broadly Ozzy Trapilo's whenever he's ready, assuming Jones (or someone else) isn't playing lights-out in the meantime. In that meantime, Trapilo will not be rushed into action coming off his torn patellar tendon, and he surely won't be No. 2 on the depth chart to start the season. Starting the season on IR is a solid likelihood when final roster cuts come.
As mentioned, Wills appears to no longer be in the competition for the starting job at left tackle. He could serve as the swing tackle off the bench, and ostensibly be the No. 2 left tackle entering the season.
Benedet's recent work at left tackle carried into the joint practice against Cincinnati, as Emma noted. He also has swing tackle utility, and the Bears seem to really like his potential.
Like Wills, Amegadjie has seemingly been removed from the left tackle competition. His time as a Bear may be coming to an end as well, if only because there are other options to fill the backup role he would.
With Jones the favorite to start at left tackle for the Bears in Week 1, who among the options who couldn't overtake him will be directly behind him on the depth chart to start the season becomes the pertinent question (or issue, as it were).
Read more: Ben Johnson continues to say it all by saying little about Bears' Kyler Gordon
The current momentum says it'll be Benedet, but the game against the Bengals is looking important on that front.
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