Braxton Jones gets firm endorsement from Chicago Bears offensive line coach 2 Bears Braxton Jones blocking against the Falcons – Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears finally name winner of key position battle before Vikings’ game

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Jordan Sigler | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:07 PM ET

It might not have been much of a surprise, but the Chicago Bears named their starting left tackle for their Week 1 contest against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.

The Bears had a four-way battle at left tackle during training camp between Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie, Ozzy Trapilo, and Theo Benedet. Chicago delayed naming a starter during the preseason, as none of the four offensive linemen ran away with or “took” the job.

Braxton Jones is the Week 1 left tackle

On Monday, head coach Ben Johnson announced Jones earned the start against Minnesota.

“Ben Johnson announces Braxton Jones will be the starting left tackle,” posted Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “No surprise there.”

During his first three years in Chicago, Jones has appeared and started 40 games, most of them at left tackle. Jones looked a little sluggish in the preseason as he’s coming off a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery.

Jones was still a preferable option to the other three young offensive linemen. Second-round rookie Trapilo is better suited to play right tackle because of his footwork. That’s the position he played at Boston College. He makes sense to use as a swing tackle until he becomes more comfortable at left tackle.

The Chicago Bears LT battle was uninspiring this summer

NFL: Chicago Bears Minicamp Ozzy Trapilo at Chicago Bears minicamp – Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Amagedjie hasn’t shown any promise of being an NFL tackle since he joined the Bears as a third-round pick in 2024. Chicago moved him inside to guard last week, and that might be his best chance to become a contributor.

Benedet, an undrafted rookie signed by Chicago in 2024, needs to develop before he’s ready to play in a game.

Jones has been trending toward being the Week 1 starter through all of training camp because of the deficiencies of the rest of the candidates. Based on general manager Ryan Poles’ recent comments, Johnson’s announcement sounds uninspiring on Monday.