Heading into training camp this year, the Chicago Bears don't have many true position battles to watch. Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum are fighting for the backup quarterback spot, but that's not particularly relevant to winning games in 2025. The running back room may see a shake-up in the depth chart, too. But by far the most interesting position battle, and the one that could be the most hotly contested, is for the starting left tackle job.
GM Ryan Poles invested vast resources into improving the interior of the offensive line this season, resulting in all three spots going to new Bears. But both of the tackles, Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, have more than held their own over the last couple years and were considered safe. Unfortunately for Jones, he's missed 9 games due to injury over the last two years and is still recovering from a leg injury last December.
That lingering injury, plus the addition of rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the 2025 NFL draft, has one NFL analyst wondering if Jones' days as Chicago's starting left tackle are numbered. Eric Edholm, a lead draft writer for NFL.com, picked Jones as one of 10 NFL veterans most likely to lose their jobs in training camp.
Justifying this choice, Edholm writes, "Ben Johnson confirmed that Jones, rookie Ozzy Trapilo and 2024 third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie will compete for the left tackle spot. Trapilo was Boston College’s right tackle the past two years, but he played on the left side in 2022 and might end up pushing Jones out of a job. Jones came off the PUP list to start camp but will need a ramp-up period before live action... Chicago could end up with four new starters on the offensive line in a critical season for Caleb Williams' development."
Edholm's reasoning is sound, and there's a lot of hype around the rookie tackle from Boston. Even Amegadjie has become vastly underrated due to how he played in 2024 in emergency situations (injuries forced him into games far before he was ready to see an NFL field). He could very well emerge as a front-runner for the job.
But it's way too soon to say that Jones is in danger of losing his job. The hype for Trapilo is legit, but he's still just a rookie who has yet to participate in a padded NFL practice. Adjusting to NFL speed and power will likely take time. Amegadjie is basically a rookie himself after missing all of last year's offseason as he rehabbed an injury of his own.
Don't forget that Jones, prior to his season ending injury in December, was playing some of his best football. He finished his season with an impressive 77.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, good for 21st out of 140 eligible offensive tackles. He's not elite and likely never will be, but he's a solid, above-average blocker.
None of this is to say that neither Trapilo nor Amegadjie will ever take Jones' starting role. It could very well happen at some point this season. But training camp only lasts a few weeks and, as long as Jones can quickly get back into full participation at practice, there shouldn't be enough time for either one to unseat a dependable veteran.
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