📢 TOP STORY: Bears head coach: “He looked like a brand new man”—Jones primed to compete for starting left tackle ⚡.DH

Is the Chicago Bears’ left tackle mystery finally solved? After a season of injuries and uncertainty, one man might just have the answer—and he’s looking stronger than ever.

“He Looked Like a Brand New Man”: Bears Coach Praises Braxton Jones Amid Left Tackle Uncertainty

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Bears are staring down one of their most critical roster questions: who will lock down the left tackle position for the long haul? After a turbulent 2025, head coach Ben Johnson didn’t mince words about the stakes, but he offered a glimmer of hope in the form of a familiar face.

“Obviously you’d love to have your long-term starter for the next 10 years locked up,” Johnson told reporters Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now. We don’t know.”

The Bears’ left tackle carousel reached dizzying heights last season, with four different players starting at the position. The standout, second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo, suffered a severe patellar tendon injury in the playoffs, immediately removing him from the team’s 2026 plans. That left Chicago with just five offensive tackles, four of whom are competing for the left tackle spot.

Amid this chaos, one player is quietly emerging as a potential solution: former fifth-round pick Braxton Jones, recently re-signed to a one-year deal.

Jones’ journey with the Bears has been a rollercoaster. Drafted 168th overall in 2022, he started 44 games and quickly proved his value as a late-round gem. But injuries derailed his momentum—first a fractured fibula in 2024, then a knee injury in 2025—preventing him from fully showcasing his abilities.

“He didn’t feel 100 percent like himself from the prior year’s injury,” Johnson said. “Looking back, we’d agree with that. We think there’s more in there than what we saw.”

Now, fully healthy and with a fresh start, Jones has impressed the coaching staff with his physical transformation. “He looked like a brand new man,” Johnson said. “He was beefed up, probably around 310 pounds, and determined to get his career trajectory back to where it was before.”

For Jones, the chance to return to the Bears is more than just a contract—it’s redemption. “Being able to re-sign with the Bears for another year and just the opportunity that is presented is amazing,” Jones said. “I’m extremely grateful. I’m excited to show that I can go out and be full go.”

The Bears are also bolstering competition, with Jedrick Wills Jr., Theo Benedet, and potentially more additions vying for the same spot. The stage is set: training camp will reveal whether Jones can reclaim his spot as the team’s long-term left tackle or if Chicago will continue searching for stability at a position that has long been a headache.

With his health restored, confidence surging, and the spotlight back on him, Braxton Jones might just be the man to finally end the Bears’ left tackle uncertainty—but only if he can back up the hype when the pads hit in 2026.