When Ben Johnson came aboard as the Chicago Bears' head coach, a focus on making the offensive line better was a natural expectation. The results of this season proved how well the plan worked, and in time, a potential long-term solution at the most important position up front revealed himself.
Ozzie Trapilo stepped up big time when he got his opportunity at left tackle late in his rookie season. But he also suffered a ruptured patellar tendon late in the Wild Card Round win over the Green Bay Packers, and he is slated to miss a big chunk of next season.
So the Bears are somewhere in the market for a left tackle this offseason, with a likely lean toward free agency over adding a rookie in the draft. Until further notice, Trapilo is surely now regarded as the long-term plan at left tackle. His knee injury is an early speed bump in that plan.
Bears' veteran may end up back in the fold next season
In his column featuring 10 thoughts from on the ground at the Senior Bowl, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune referred to how hard it is to find an experienced left tackle. As a result, in his look at the situation involving a couple of notable offensive players, Biggs wondered about a potential solution for the Bears in the wake of Trapilo's injury.
"It’s worth wondering if the Bears would consider bringing back Braxton Jones, which potentially could aid both parties. The current coaching staff hasn’t seen Jones fully healthy. He pressed all offseason to return from a fractured ankle in time for training camp. He battled in an effort to get stronger, and I don’t think he ever got there before he was benched just before halftime of the Week 4 game in Las Vegas. Then a minor knee injury during a practice in October led to an IR stint."
"Jones didn’t have the kind of season he was hoping for in a contract year. A one-year deal to return to the Bears healthy and play in place of Trapilo could give him the opportunity to restore his market value."
Biggs noted how this Bears' coaching staff hasn't really seen Jones healthy. He was recovering from an ankle injury that shortened his 2024 season, affecting OTAs and much of training camp last year. Then he was benched during the Week 4 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and finally, a knee injury in October landed him on IR until the playoffs.
While Jones will never be regarded as one of the top left tackles in the league, he did earn a top-25 overall grade among offensive tackles from Pro Football Focus in two of his first three seasons. He was not very good when he was on the field this season, but it's possible he was not quite at full strength after a pretty bad ankle injury.
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It was once a foregone conclusion that Jones would be gone when he hit free agency this offseason. But with 44 starts on his resume and familiarity in play, the Bears probably have him somewhere on their list of options to cover Trapilo's absence. And, as Biggs said, it'd be a mutually beneficial situation, since he could come back on a one-year deal and ideally have a better contract year before hitting the open market in 2027.