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Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson confirms a major roster battle is still undecided and could see more changes well into the regular season

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kole Noble | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 4:19 PM ET

The Chicago Bears biggest roster battle throughout the entire offseason has been at the left tackle position, and it's still a major question the team hasn't been able to answer with Week 1 approaching.

After getting starting reps in all three preseason contests, incumbent starter Braxton Jones seemed well on his way to earning the starting job for the fourth year in a row, but his inconsistent play on tape continues to leave this situation unresolved.

"I'm not ready to talk about starters yet," head coach Ben Johnson told reporters on Tuesday when asked about Jones potentially starting at left tackle. "I think we're going to have a starter Week 1 and we'll go from there. I said it a few weeks ago, we feel good about the guys we have in that room. 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."

Coach Johnson is speaking with the media https://t.co/ncIOJHGBEA
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 26, 2025

As far as the Week 1 starter goes protecting quarterback Caleb Williams' blindside, Johnson reassured a decision will be made at the start of next week but that doesn't mean it's going to be a final decision for the entire regular season.

Johnson is clearly leaving the door open for someone to run away with this starting job and to do so, that player needs to show consistency on the field in pass protection.

Which is something Jones has struggled with throughout his career and saying he's the Week 1 starter, and the struggles continue into the regular season, the Bears are willing to pull him off the field and replace him with someone like Theo Benedet to see if the desired consistency can be achieved.

It's a risky approach because it's a critical position on the offensive line. And not having a consistent guy there can impact the level of trust the other four members of the offensive line have in that position to hold up in protection.

One things for certain, expect the Bears to manufacture some help on the left side if it continues to be an issue, either by adding a tight end to the side or scheming some double teams with left guard Joe Thuney helping out.

It's a tough position to be in with not much time to get that spot corrected. Week 1's game against a pass-rush heavy Minnesota Vikings front could be an eye-opening experience for the Bears staff to realize a major shakeup could be needed at the position.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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