Bears’ HC Ben Johnson finally comes to a Week 1 decision for who will start at left tackle, and it was the obvious call to make
We’ll see how long this decision lasts.
One big question still remained unanswered at the start of the week leading up to the Chicago Bears matchup against the Minnesota Vikings when it came to the starting lineup on offense, and we finally got an answer on Tuesday.
All offseason, the Bears have held an open competition for the left tackle position and the competition had multiple twists and turns over the last few months that made the evaluation a difficult process.
On Tuesday, while speaking with reporters, head coach Ben Johnson revealed the decision has been made as it pertains to the Week 1 lineup.
Braxton Jones to start at LT against the Vikings
This was always the obvious call to make after the Bears moved second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo to the swing tackle position and out of the starting left tackle competition.
Moving Trapilo left Braxton Jones competing with two inexperienced players in Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie and it hasn’t been a secret who was leading that race between the three.
Jones played every snap with the first-team offense throughout the final two preseason games and while the consistency was lacking a bit, his experience made up for it.
“He knows what he’s doing,” Johnson said of Jones on Tuesday. “Is it perfect every play? No it’s not. But, we did see the execution go up over the course of the last few weeks. And so, there is a trust level in him knowing what to do. We think that he’s going to continue to ascend the more reps that he gets.”
With the decision now official, Jones will be the team’s Week 1 starter at left tackle for the fourth year in a row as he heads into the final year of his contract. But, just because he won the position for Week 1, doesn’t mean changes won’t be made down the road.
“Someone’s going to take the bull by the horns and is going to completely take over. But, we’re not afraid to make a change if the performance isn’t where it needs to be,” Johnson noted last week.
When it comes to preparation for Week 1, finally naming a starter at the position and putting an end to the constant shuffling, for now, has to be a sigh of relief when it comes to establishing a cohesiveness with rest of the starting five.
Quarterback Caleb Williams now has a clear idea of which five players will be protecting him on Monday night as he goes up against a daunting defense led by Vikings DC Brian Flores.
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