The 2025 season was a renaissance for the Chicago Bears, with a division title and a playoff win fostering good vibes for the future that haven't existed in recent memory. But in the "we just can't have nice things" column, left tackle Ozzy Trapilo suffered a torn patellar tendon late in that postseason win, and he's in line to miss a significant portion of next season.
Trapilo is absolutely still the No. 1 long-term option at left tackle, but the Bears need to plan to fill that void protecting Caleb Williams' blindside next season. Theo Benedet is a candidate for the job, but adding a free agent to at least compete with him is practically an order.
Of course, the best left tackles around rarely (if ever) hit the open market, and the pickings are slim on that front once again this year. So the Bears are in a bit of a pickle, even though they're just trying to find an ideal one-year stop-gap while Trapilo recovers from his knee injury.
Bears' best option to fill Ozzy Trapilo's injury absence continues to be revealed
Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus has named the most underrated free agent at each offensive position, and he went with Braxton Jones at offensive tackle.
"Jones' Bears career did not end well, as he had a poor 2025 season before getting benched and also injured. Still, that should not take away from his first three seasons. In that span, he earned an 80.2 PFF overall grade, which ranked 15th among 37 qualifying offensive tackles. His 76.1 PFF pass-blocking grade tied for 19th among left tackles."
"That was a far cry from his 12.5% pressure rate allowed in 2025, the second-worst clip among 51 qualifying left tackles. Based on Jones' first three seasons, a team could very well get a serviceable left tackle at a discount."
Jones can be given an injury-driven mulligan for the 2025 season. The ankle injury that shortened his 2024 campaign may have impacted him early, leading to his benching. Then, a knee injury he suffered during a practice in October sidelined him until the playoffs. One rough season, whatever the circumstances, does not erase three solid seasons that came before it.
But it was also an obviously ill-timed, rough contract year for Jones. That will affect what he can get on the open market, even if other teams are aware of his prior resume, which was stronger. The Bears might be the best spot for him to rehab his value anyway, before hitting free agency again in 2027, with a mix of familiarity and a clear opportunity to start next season.
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A lot of Bears' fans will groan at the idea of having Jones at left tackle again, even if it's only for one more year. But before last season, he was better than many like to think, and among an admittedly dismal group of free agent options to fill in for Trapilo, the former fifth-round pick continues to stand out.