Bears' Braxton Jones to start at left tackle in season opener
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears will start Braxton Jones at left tackle during their season opener at Carolina on Sept. 13.
Jones has spent five seasons with the Bears after Chicago drafted him in the fifth round in 2022. He re-signed with the team this offseason on a one-year deal worth $5 million after logging 44 starts at left tackle.
Coach Ben Johnson made the announcement five days before the Bears play the Panthers. The left tackle position battle began July 29 and lasted throughout training camp in a competition between Jones, Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills Jr.
The Bears cut Amegadjie and Wills on Aug. 30 and have Theo Benedet as their swing tackle behind Jones.
Jones missed just over a week of training camp with a knee injury but reasserted himself as the favorite to win the left tackle job in mid-August. But much like when Johnson announced Jones as the team's starting left tackle prior to Week 1 in 2025, the Bears coach did not commit to Jones long term at the position.
"It's every position that's being evaluated," Johnson said. "I just talked to the skill guys on offense. Right now I don't know when we line up in certain personnel groups who's going to be our receivers right now. It's early. By the time we get to Friday, Saturday, that's when we'll stamp them. They've earned that during the course of the week. I don't think it's any different for the offensive line.
"Just because I'm saying that here on a Tuesday doesn't mean that's how it always shakes out. He's gotta earn that, Braxton does, as do all the players that are going to be active on game day. They gotta earn it. They gotta show us that they deserve to be out there. That's how we go about it in this building and I think they understand that."
That could be due to the belief Johnson and the Bears have that Ozzy Trapilo is on track to earn back his job at left tackle. Trapilo, who started six games for the Bears in his rookie season last year, has been practicing with the team since he was activated off the PUP list on Aug. 16, though he did not take any reps during 11-on-11 in training camp nor did he participate in preseason games while recovering from a patellar tendon injury sustained in the playoffs.
"I don't have a timeline but I do think [Trapilo's] getting invaluable work right now, whether it's individual or some of the things we're doing after practice," Johnson said. "That was our intent -- today's a padded practice. We want to make sure he's maximizing the number of padded opportunities he gets as he's continuing to get better every single week.
"I think it's a matter of time. I can't say it's in the near future. I know he's working his tail off. It's been beyond impressive for him to be where he is today. The fact that he's out there with those guys and he's strong, he's flexible, it's a credit to him. It's a credit to guys in the weight room who have been training him. I think we're headed in the right direction there."
Meanwhile, wide receiver Rome Odunze missed his second straight practice with an undisclosed injury after leaving last Thursday's session early. Odunze is classified as "day to day," and the Bears are hopeful he will be able to play at Carolina.
According to Johnson, Odunze's injury is not an aggravation of the foot fracture he sustained during the 2025 season that he has since recovered from.
