Bears LT Braxton Jones shares promising update in his recovery process but it doesn't make his future in Chicago any less murky
There's no question the Chicago Bears offensive line is looking much better on paper going into 2025 than it did during the first season with Caleb Williams under center.The front office and new coaching staff made it a clear priority to overhaul the unit with three new, and established, interior starters coming in along with […]
There's no question the Chicago Bears offensive line is looking much better on paper going into 2025 than it did during the first season with Caleb Williams under center.
The front office and new coaching staff made it a clear priority to overhaul the unit with three new, and established, interior starters coming in along with a few depth pieces coming back as well.
However, one question mark still remains on the starting five, at arguably the most critical position on the offensive line.
That position is of course left tackle, the position responsible for protecting the blindside of Williams, the Bears young franchise quarterback.
Right now, Braxton Jones is still in line to be the starter in 2025. However, Jones is coming off a serious fractured left ankle that forced him to miss the final two weeks of the 2024 season.
The recovery process from such an injury is a long process, but there's some promising updates on said process. On Tuesday evening, Jones shared a video on his Instagram story walking without a boot on his injured ankle.
It's been 93 days, or a little over 13 weeks since the injury occurred in Week 16 against the Detroit Lions. Mason West, a Clinic Director/Physical Therapist at Ignite Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, shared on X that "patients can usually return to full weight-bearing activities after 6-8 weeks with potential return to sport 3-4 months post [surgery]."
Seeing Jones putting his weight back on that ankle is great for his recovery timeline and he should be back hopefully by training camp in the summer for full football activity. But, his spot might not be secure upon returning.
Bears Exploring LT Competition
During the NFL Combine, general manager Ryan Poles was asked about Jones' recovery process and noted everything has been progressing on schedule with Jones being active at coming back from this injury.
Poles then added something interesting unprompted regarding the possibility of having some competition for Jones' position.
"So I think, that's another spot where it's gonna be competition, and you build the O-line with the best five guys," Poles explained. "So, we'll see how that goes through this offseason, and training camp."
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean the Bears will actively look to add someone to the position. The Bears drafted a long-term LT project last year in Kiran Amegadjie who clearly wasn't ready for in-game action in 2024. The team still views him in high regard however, for the time being.
Even still, the Bears met with a handful of left tackle prospects at the Combine and plan to have Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly in for a Top-30 visit in the coming days.
The reason being is that even without the injury rehab, Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. He's been serviceable in his three years, starting all 40 games he's played since 2022. In 2024, Jones ranked 17th among all offensive tackles with a 80.8 pass blocking grade and 35th with a 70.2 run blocking grade.
The other kicker is the left tackle market skyrocketed this offseason with players such as Dan Moore and Jaylon Moore landing contracts worth $15+ million a year on the open market in free agency.
If the Bears believe they can find similar or better upside at the position while resetting the LT contract clock after 2025, moving a different direction makes sense, regardless of Jones' injury and recovery. For now, he's the starter until something else happens.
Bears set to meet with another long-term left tackle option on a Top-30 visit, and it wouldn’t cost the 10th overall pick to draft him
I wouldn’t mind this move on Day 2.
