The timeline for Chicago Bears offensive tackle Braxton Jones to return to practice this summer has changed from when head coach Ben Johnson addressed the media in April. He is not expected to begin practicing at the start of training camp.
During the league’s annual meeting, Johnson said he believed Jones would begin training camp as a limited participant following his surgery to repair an ankle injury that caused him to miss the final two games of last season.
“I think he’s right on track,” Johnson said via ESPN. “Will that mean he’s limited in training camp? I would say probably at this point, but I think the progress is right where it needs to be right now.”
Braxton Jones is likely to start camp on the PUP list
Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Jones is not expected to be ready for the first practice of training camp and could begin on the physically unable to perform list.
“If Braxton Jones starts training camp on PUP, which is a possibility, I don’t think he would be on there real long,” Biggs said on 670 The Score’s “Mully & Haugh Show” on Tuesday. “So, the last time I checked in on that topic, I was told he’s not ready at the start of camp. They didn’t feel like it was going to be too long in the camp until he was ready… So Jones, yeah, that’s certainly one to keep an eye on.”
Biggs suggested any delay in training camp for Jones could cause problems for the Bears’ coaching staff as they determine the starting left tackle job for the upcoming season.
The Chicago Bears need to find their starting left tackle
Chicago will use training camp to decide if Jones, second-year OT Kiran Amegadjie, or rookie OT Ozzy Trapilo (who has not yet signed his rookie contract) will protect quarterback Caleb Williams’ blindside in the upcoming season. Jones had that gig last season, and it will be hard for the staff to determine how to approach the left tackle position until he returns to practice.
“And then how do they structure what they’ve got going on at left tackle?” Biggs said. “Like, is Ozzy in the mix with Braxton and Karan? Like, to me, if you’ve got a three-man derby, that is probably difficult to facilitate.
“In my mind, anyway, when you talk about left tackle reps in training camp… I think it’s a cleaner, easier thing to do if you’re rotating two guys through there.”
When camp starts, it’ll be a two-man job for a limited time.
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