The Chicago Bears‘ new coaching staff isn’t loyal to players who have been on the roster for years. A three-year starter could be sitting on the bench in 2025 if they don’t wind up fitting in head coach Ben Johnson’s new scheme.
The Bears are set to add seven rookies in the 2025 draft next week. The Bears added five starters in the trenches in March. The only starting position on the offensive line that Chicago could add next week would be at left tackle.
Braxton Jones has started and appeared in 40 games as a left tackle since the Bears selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. Jones is coming off an ankle injury that ended his season two games early, as he required surgery. He’s expected to miss OTAs and return for training camp.
The Chicago Bears coaching staff put Braxton Jones on notice
Offensive line coach Dan Roushar wouldn’t commit to Jones being the starting left tackle in Week 1.
“Very determined person,” Roushar said of Jones via a transcription from Audacy. “You love all those traits about him. I do. I think we all have the vision that if he were healthy, he would be competing as our starting left tackle. For all of our guys right now, nobody is set in stone. There’s competition across the board in this entire building, for all of us. I think that in his case not being able to right now, immediately go out there and begin work as we start, self-admittedly, it’s a setback for him.
“He has to stay sharp mentally. He’s got to learn our language. He’s got to learn our playbook, which he will do, and then let’s assume that whenever he’s given that green light, is full go, then I expect him to return to where he was, and then our jobs are to build on what he’s done.”
The Bears want Jones to lose weight
The Bears have already given Jones some advice on how he can keep his starting job.
During the annual league meeting, Johnson suggested Jones needed to gain some weight this offseason.
“The number one thing in my opinion that tackles need to do is pass protect,” Johnson said via Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “I think he’s got the feet to get that done. We’re going to challenge him to maybe gain a little bit more weight so that he can anchor a little bit better in pass pro.
“But everything I’ve seen so far has shown a phenomenal athlete out there on the edge that we feel like we can work with.”
Jones will have to get up to speed quickly in training camp to earn the starting spot. If the Bears select an offensive tackle with the No. 10 pick, there’s a good chance Jones will be too far behind to catch the rookie.
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