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Ben Johnson Officially Names Winner of Crucial Bears Position Battle

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dan Fappiano | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 2:26 PM ET

As the Chicago Bears prepare for their 2025 season, all eyes will be on quarterback Caleb Williams. However, it'll be hard for him to reach his No. 1 pick potential spending half the season on his back.

That was his reality as a rookie, with the Bears allowing a league-high 68 sacks. Chicago put forth an aggressive effort to rectify the issue, trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman in free agency. Add in standout right tackle Darnell Wright and Williams' blocking scheme looks much more formidable.

Across from him at left tackle, however, has been a mystery. The Bears conducted what became a four-headed race for the opportunity to start. With the regular season quickly approaching, head coach Ben Johnson has now announced that Braxton Jones will be blocking Williams' blindside to open the campaign, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

"Ben Johnson announces Braxton Jones will be the starting left tackle," Biggs wrote. "No surprise there."

Ben Johnson announces Braxton Jones will be the staring left tackle. No surprise there.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 2, 2025

Bears Sticking with Braxton Jones

Originally, Jones was battling second-rounder Ozzy Trapilo and former third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie for the left tackle job. Then, former undrafted free agent Theo Benedet joined the fray. However, as the preseason came to a close, Jones was getting most of the first-team work. Amegadjie dealt with an injury while Trapilo began taking reps at right tackle. Overall, Johnson's announcement wasn't shocking based on how Chicago's training camp played out.

However, Jones must prove that he deserves to remain the starting left tackle. He cannot be a weak link on Chicago's new-look offensive line. Johnson has been aggresive in making changes if things don't go right in practice. It wouldn't be a shock to see him shake up the line should Williams' sack issues persist.

At the same time, Jones has shown flashes of brilliance when on the field. He entered the competition with the most experience, having started 40 games since joining the team in 2022. During the 2024 campaign, Jones' 77.4 grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 21/140 tackles. He was 35th in run blocking with a 70.2 grade and 17th in pass blocking with a 80.8 mark.

The biggest red flag against Jones is his injury history. He played in just 11 games in 2023 before an ankle injury held him to 12 in 2024. That same injury limited Jones' availability at the start of training camp.

But at least entering Week 1, the left tackle is now healthy and ready to help the Bears succeed. Johnson clearly believes Jones is the right man for the job. Now, he must prove he can stay on the field and keep Williams upright in the pocket.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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