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72 Days until Bears 2025 season: Is Kiran Amegadjie Chicago's starting left tackle?

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 11:35 PM ET

Despite all the hard work from Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles to rebuild and improve the offensive line, one spot on the line remains a big question mark: the left tackle position. For the last three years, former fifth-round draft pick Braxton Jones has held down that spot and done very well, earning a Top 20 passing grade for all offensive tackles from Pro Football Focus.

Unfortunately, Jones suffered a brutal knee injury near the end of the 2024 NFL season from which he's still recovering. Head coach Ben Johnson has previously said that Jones will likely be limited in training camp, which doesn't bode well at all for a player heading into a contract year.

But the NFL is famous as a 'next man up' league. Injuries happen, and as unfortunate or unfair as they are, teams have to be prepared to move forward with a different starter. Can Jones still recover in time to practice in full at training camp and prove that he's the best left tackle on the roster? Absolutely. But his injury has opened the door for other players to show their worth, most notably second-year player Kiran Amegadjie.

Most Bears fans groan at the thought of Amegadjie starting at left tackle, but that's not entirely fair. It's true that his limited appearances in 2024 (he played just 126 snaps) were awful, but he was never supposed to play as a rookie. He was coming off a major leg injury himself that cut short his final college season and wasn't even cleared for football activity until the final week of training camp.

On top of missing almost the entirety of the offseason, which is crucial for rookies transitioning to the NFL, Amegadjie had to make the leap from playing in the Ivy League to facing off against the best pass rushers on the planet. With all due respect to Ivy League players, they don't hold a candle to the likes of Myles Garrett or Haason Reddick.

Amegadjie was drafted in the third round with the knowledge that he would be a development pick. The kind of guy who spends his entire rookie season on the bench, watching and learning. Due to injuries, however, he was forced into action before he was ready and predictably struggled.

That doesn't mean the fans should write him off. Now that he's finally participated in a full offseason program of OTA's and minicamps, Amegadjie can head into training camp ready to fight. It's important to remember the natural gifts he has, from his incredible athleticism to freakishly long, 36" arms. With proper coaching and some more muscle, Amegadjie can develop into a franchise left tackle.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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