There is still a mystery to be solved at Halas Hall regarding who might be the winner of a key position battle for the Chicago Bears, but the Mystery Team with Scooby-Doo won't be necessary for fans.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke with the media on Tuesday, discussing multiple topics, including the infamous starting left tackle battle that has been going on all offseason. Johnson stuck to his guns as he wouldn't make any announcement on it yet.
"I think we're going to have a starter Week 1 and we'll go from there," Johnson said via Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs.
"I think we're going to have a starter Week 1 and we'll go from there," Ben Johnson said when asked about the left tackle position.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 26, 2025
Would be quite surprising if Braxton Jones is not that player. He will have to play well to maintain that spot.
Throughout Bears training camp, there have been at least four competitors going at it to win the job. It started with Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, and Kiran Amegadjie in the first few weeks. That all changed before the final preseason game, when Trapilo was moved to right tackle, Amegadjie started working out with the second and third teams, and Theo Benedet began receiving first-team reps.
Johnson initially praised Benedet for his play at left tackle, but did acknowledge that he wished Benedet had gotten reps with the starters sooner. By the end of camp and going into the final game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jones was getting all the first-team reps and looks to be in line to be the Week 1 starter.
Fans know Jones will most likely win the job, but should he?
Based on the competitors the Bears threw out there, Jones makes the most sense since he by far has the most experience. His play in the preseason does not reflect that, but he still did enough to earn the starting job.
Trapilo is being used more as a swing tackle and needs more time to develop behind Jones. There is still a lot of belief that Trapilo will eventually start on the line, whether that is at left or right tackle.
Benedet is the biggest wild card, but has the highest potential. He has the size and athleticism to be the starting left tackle for the Bears eventually. It might even happen this season.
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For now, Jones is the safe pick and the Bears should be good enough that he won't be able to screw things up too badly. Johnson remains committed to the position, which will be evaluated throughout the season. That might not bode well for Jones if he gets off to a slow start.