Bears Activate Braxton Jones From IR
JANUARY 18: While Jones has been activated, he will not immediately return to the starting lineup. Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirm the Bears will move Thuney to left tackle for today’s game. Jordan McFadden is likely to fill in for Thuney at left guard.
JANUARY 13: The Bears lost left tackle starter Ozzy Trapilo for the season. They have placed both he and linebacker T.J. Edwards on IR; the veteran linebacker also suffered a season-ending injury against the Packers.
One tackle reinforcement will be in place for Chicago’s divisional-round game, however. The team activated Braxton Jones from IR. The former fifth-rounder has been on IR since October. This could set up as Jones’ final act(s) with the Bears, as he is on track for free agency in March.
Jones’ placement on injured reserve (with a knee injury) came not long after being benched for the first time in his career. Jones operated as a full-time starter during his first three seasons with Chicago, a team which has looked into numerous options on the blindside in 2025. Chicago has used Trapilo and Theo Benedet as starters since demoting Jones. Benedet took Trapilo’s place against Green Bay.
With right tackle Darnell Wright earning All-Pro acclaim in a breakthrough season, Trapilo’s future will be at left tackle. The Bears will at least have an option against the Rams in Jones, who came up in trade rumors before his IR placement.
Prior to Jones’ IR trip, he had started 44 games since his 2022 rookie season. Winning Chicago’s LT job that year, Jones kept it through the end of the 2024 campaign before needing to fend off Trapilo and Benedet for the job in training camp. Jones still prevailed in that competition but had emerged as the weak link on Chicago’s revamped O-line — one that also placed left guard Joe Thuney on the All-Pro team.
It will be interesting to see how the Bears replace Trapilo. Benedet, a 2024 UDFA, started eight games this season. Pro Football Focus, however, graded the Canadian blocker poorly, placing him 74th among qualified tackles this season. PFF slotted Trapilo 34th in his rookie year, making this a situation to monitor ahead of the Bears’ 2-5 matchup with the Rams. This also drops Chicago’s injury activation count to one, even with the NFL granting playoff teams two additional activations. As PFR’s IR return tracker shows, the Bears have used nine total activations this season.
The Bears also signed linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin from the practice squad. The NFLPA president has played in four games with the team this season, including the wild-card matchup.
Bears Activate CB Kyler Gordon From IR
The Bears activated cornerback Kyler Gordon from injured reserve, per a team announcement, setting him up to play in Saturday night’s wild card matchup with the Packers.
Gordon, 26, only appeared in three games in the regular season due to a variety of injuries. He did not play until Week 6 due to a hamstring injury suffered in training camp. Calf and groin issues quickly forced him back on the sidelines, this time accompanied by a move to injured reserve. He returned to the field in late November and landed right back on IR after his first game back, again due to a groin injury. After missing the last four games of the regular season, Gordon was able to recover in time for the Bears’ first playoff game since 2020.
The injury-riddled season has been a disappointment for both player and club, especially considering the three-year, $40MM extension Gordon signed in April. The 2022 second-round pick emerged as a reliable, if not elite, nickel in his first three years in the NFL, earning him a deal at the top of that specific market. But injuries were an issue; Gordon missed nine games across those three seasons and has more than doubled his total this year.
Chicago has primarily relied on C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot with Nick McCloud also getting some snaps. Neither has performed particularly well – their Pro Football Focus grades (subscription required) both hover around 50.0 – so it will be interesting to see how the Bears handle Gordon’s return. Given his health struggles – especially two groin issues – they may want to ease him back into full-speed and -contact action to avoid another re-injury.
The Bears also announced a few other moves for Saturday’s game. Tight end Nikola Kalinic and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin were both elevated from the practice squad to face the Packers, while offensive tackle Braxton Jones was downgraded to out and will not be activated from IR.
Bears Designate CB Kyler Gordon, LT Braxton Jones For Return
The Bears could have a pair of reinforcements in time for their playoff opener. Cornerback Kyler Gordon and left tackle Braxton Jones have been designated for return from injured reserve, per a team announcement.
The move opens both players’ practice windows. Gordon and Jones can now be activated at any time within the next 21 days. Managing to do so in either case prior to Saturday’s matchup against the Packers in the wild-card round would of course be welcomed by Chicago.
Gordon has managed to play just three games so far this season. A groin injury led to his second IR stint of the year in December. No return in time for the end of the regular season was possible in his case, but the Bears have remained optimistic Gordon would be able to see time in the playoffs. Depending on how the next few days go, that could come to fruition.
Chicago has dealt with a number of injuries this season, and the defense in particular has been hit hard. Getting Gordon back in the fold against Green Bay’s passing attack and a healthy Jordan Love could prove to be critical if he is activated in time. The 26-year-old inked a $40MM extension this past offseason, and he is slated to operate as a key figure in the secondary for the foreseeable future.
Jones, by contrast, is a pending free agent. The former fifth-rounder has been on IR since October. His placement on injured reserve came not long after being benched for the first time in his career. Jones operated as a full-time starter during his first three seasons with Chicago, a team which has looked into numerous options on the blindside in 2025. Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo has handled left tackle duties for several weeks, and that should continue into the playoffs.
If he is activated, Jones will at least offer the Bears with depth on the blindside. His status, along with Gordon’s, will be worth monitoring over the next few days.
Bears Place Kyler Gordon, Braxton Jones On IR
The Bears have placed cornerback Kyler Gordon and offensive tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Both players will miss at least four games.
This represents another major setback for Gordon, a slot standout who missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. Gordon returned to play the Bears’ past two games, a pair of victories in which he logged 81 defensive snaps and six tackles. He’s now dealing with calf and groin issues that will keep him out of the Bears’ lineup until at least Nov. 23.
Gordon’s injury troubles aren’t what he or the Bears had in mind when they shook hands on a three-year, $40MM contract extension in April. Worsening matters for Chicago, the team also has another key corner, Jaylon Johnson, on IR with a groin injury. Johnson has played just one game this year. If he comes back, it won’t be until later in the campaign.
Along with Gordon and Johnson, the Bears will also go without corner Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) in Week 8 against the Ravens. The good news for Chicago, which has won four in a row since an 0-2 start, is that it won’t face injured starting quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday. Tyler Huntley will start in Jackson’s place.
After making 40 straight starts in his first three years in the NFL, Jones opened 2025 as the Bears’ top option at left tackle. However, the team benched Jones in favor of Theo Benedet after Week 4, relegating him to an unfamiliar backup role.
While teams had been eyeing Jones as a potential trade chip leading up to the Nov. 4 deadline, his knee injury may put the kibosh on that. The pending free agent should not require a long-term IR stint, though, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports. Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo will serve as the Bears’ primary backup at tackle in Jones’ absence.
In addition to placing Gordon and Jones on IR, the Bears made a few other moves Saturday, per Scott Bair of Marquee Sports. The Bears signed defensive lineman Jonathan Ford from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, and they elevated tight end Stephen Carlson and defensive back Dallis Flowers.
NFC North Notes: Bears, Decker, Vikings
After three years as the Bears‘ left tackle starter, Braxton Jones won a competition to keep the gig during training camp. But the contract-year blocker has since been benched, ceding his blindside spot to Theo Benedet. This leaves the former fifth-round pick in limbo. Teams are now monitoring Jones as a potential trade chip, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Rival clubs are viewing Jones as a “sensible” trade candidate, per Fowler, as the Division I-FCS find has 44 career starts on his resume.
Being benched early in a contract year, Jones does not figure to feature in Chicago’s post-2025 plans. A path to the 2026 free agent market appears clear. Teams are generally reluctant to part with proven O-linemen in trades, but with Chicago having Benedet in place and having used a second-round pick on tackle Ozzy Trapilo, Jones could be deemed expendable. This chain of events has led teams to at least monitor this situation, as Jones’ experience would be intriguing to a team with a tackle need. Pro Football Focus ranks Jones 57th among tackle regulars this season; the advanced metrics site, however, bestowed top-25 marks on the Southern Utah alum in 2022 and ’24.
Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- In and out of the Lions‘ lineup this season, Taylor Decker is battling a shoulder injury. After missing Weeks 5 and 6, Decker reemerged to start against the Buccaneers on Monday night. Decker allowed a sack-strip in protection in the Lions’ Week 7 win but graded out well in PFF’s view. Dan Campbell cast some doubt (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett) about Decker returning to 100% this season, considering the unspecified shoulder injury he is battling. Following Frank Ragnow in playing through an injury (as the since-retired center did in 2024), Decker is tied to a three-year, $60MM contract that runs through 2027. The 32-year-old blocker has been the Lions’ starting left tackle since 2016.
- Staying with the O-line theme here, the Vikings are considering moving Blake Brandel to the center position on a full-time basis. Brandel has started at both center and left guard this season, having filled in for Ryan Kelly at center, but has primarily been a guard in the pros. Vikings OC Wes Phillips said (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert) center might be his best position. Kelly suffering two concussions early this season makes his IR-return timetable murky, amplifying the importance of the Vikes having Brandel as a swingman. Brandel made 17 starts at guard last season, being demoted due to the Kelly, Will Fries and Donovan Jackson additions this offseason. But he is back in a first-string role as the Vikings face the Chargers tonight.
- Leading up to the 2024 draft, the Giants and Vikings aggressively pursued Drake Maye. Both made strong trade offers for the Patriots’ No. 3 overall pick. Minnesota offered its Nos. 11 and 23 picks, along with its 2025 first-rounder. That rivaled the Giants’ proposal (Nos. 6 and 47, along with a 2025 first). In addition to the Vikes’ first-round choices included in the offer, they and the Pats would have swapped Day 3 picks in the deal, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Though, the third-day component in this offer brought Minnesota-favored terms, Breer adds. The Pats held onto the pick and chose Maye, which certainly looks like a wise decision. The Vikings moved up one spot to No. 10 for J.J. McCarthy, passing on Bo Nix. The jury is still out on McCarthy’s NFL trajectory.
Bears Officially Make LT Switch
Caleb Williams has a new blind side protector coming out of the Bears’ Week 5 bye. Head coach Ben Johnson announced (via The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain) that second-year offensive lineman Theo Benedet will start at left tackle on Monday against the Commanders.
Benedet started at right tackle in Week 4 against the Raiders with Darnell Wright nursing an elbow injury. Partway through the game, Johnson flipped Benedet to left tackle to replace Braxton Jones and inserted rookie Ozzy Trapilo on the right side. Chicago’s offense did not roar to life as Johnson may have hoped, but they were able to hold on for a 25-24 win in Las Vegas.
Benedet apparently performed well enough to hang onto the left tackle job, despite poor grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Jones also dealt with an ankle injury this offseason and may not have gotten all the way back to 100% before the season starter, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Though he has not popped up on the injury report, some rest may still be necessary to get him back to full strength, as his play has taken a hit relative to previous seasons.
In the meantime, the Bears will move forward with Benedet, who played college football in Canada for the University of British Columbia before arriving in Chicago as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He spent his first season on the practice squad and emerged as a surprising factor in the Bears’ left tackle competition during training camp this past summer.
It will be very interesting to see if Jones gets a chance to win his job back, as it is a contract year for the 2022 fifth-round pick. He was a rare Day 3 draftee to start at left tackle as a rookie, but regime change always brings roster turnover. The Bears can hold onto Benedet through the 2027 season, and both Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie could be long-term options at left tackle. That would make it difficult to justify re-signing Jones after the season, especially if Chicago intends to hang onto Wright, their 2023 first-round pick.
Bears To Start Braxton Jones At LT In Week 1
After an open competition during training camp, the Bears have settled on their Week 1 starting left tackle: Braxton Jones.
Head coach Ben Johnson announced the decision on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, keeping the team’s incumbent LT in place for the time being. Johnson previously said that he would name a Week 1 starter and “go from there.”
Jones, a 2022 fifth-round pick, started all 17 games as a rookie but missed 11 games due to injury over the last two years. He was medically cleared from the ankle surgery that ended his 2024 season at the beginning of camp and fought off challenges from recent Day 2 picks Kiran Amegadjie and Ozzy Trapilo, as well as second-year UDFA Theo Benedet. All four took snaps at left tackle in the preseason with Trapilo and Benedet working in at right tackle as well.
Jones always seemed like the most likely option to start in Week 1. He has consistently graded out as a good (but not elite) tackle in his first three seasons, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He and right tackle Darnell Wright will provide some continuity in a Bears offensive line that brought in three new starters along the interior this offseason.
However, Johnson’s desire to test out his options at left tackle could be a sign that Jones does not have long-term security in Chicago. With younger options waiting in the wings and an expensive interior trio, Jones will have to stay healthy and play well to make a case for an extension with the Bears. The team may already be angling to move on to Amegadjie or Trapilo in 2026 and beyond, in which case Jones could hit free agency as a coveted young left tackle with multiple years of starting experience under his belt.
Bears’ LT Situation Still Unsettled
Darnell Wright is set to spend his third straight season as the Bears’ starting right tackle. A central aspect of Chicago’s offseason was a complete renovation along the interior of the offensive line, with guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson being acquired via trade and center Drew Dalman arriving in free agency.
Those moves should help Caleb Williams avoid taking as many sacks in 2025 as he did during his rookie season. Crucially, though, Chicago’s left tackle spot has been a question mark throughout the offseason. New head coach Ben Johnson has overseen an open competition through training camp and the preseason. With the team’s exhibition games in the books, no standout option has emerged.
“I think we’re going to have a starter Week 1, and we’ll go from there,” Johnson said (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin). “I said it a few weeks ago – we feel good about the guys we have in that room. Someone’s gonna take the bull by the horns and is going to completely take over. But we’re not afraid to make a change if the performance isn’t where it needs to be.”
Incumbent Braxton Jones was fully cleared late last month after ankle surgery. That has allowed the pending 2026 free agent to work with the starters in training camp, but he has not done enough for Johnson to declare him the winner of the competition. Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo has had opportunities on the blindside as well as right tackle this summer. The same is also true of 2024 undrafted free agent Theo Benedet, who did not see any regular season game time last season.
The other player who has represented an option (albeit never the top one) in the left tackle contest is Kiran Amegadjie. Drafted in the third round last year, the Yale product made six appearances and one start as a rookie. Amegadjie could see time at left tackle in 2025, but general manager Ryan Poles said this week (via Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network) he will begin working at guard as well.
As such, Jones remains the likeliest candidate to start in Week 1. The 26-year-old has started each of his 40 games to date, but 11 missed contests across the past two seasons have proven to be an issue. A healthy slate in 2025 would be critical in determining Jones’ market value next spring. Based on Johnson’s comments, though, it is still unclear if Jones or any one other player will receive the left tackle nod throughout the campaign.
Theo Benedet Enters Bears’ LT Competition
One of the Bears’ top training camp battles has come at the left tackle spot. The competition is ongoing, and a fourth contender appears to have emerged.
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Theo Benedet has seen time with the starting offense during three practices this week, as detailed by ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. The 2024 undrafted free agent spent last season on Chicago’s practice squad, but with the left tackle competition being labeled wide open by new head coach Ben Johnson, opportunities have presented themselves recently. Benedet worked at left and right tackle during the Bears’ preseason opener.
“He’s right in the middle of it,” Johnson said. “I’ve been very, very excited about Theo and what he’s done both on the right and the left side. He was probably overlooked to start this competition, but the longer this thing’s gone on, there’s a strong argument for what he’s put on tape.”
Benedet entered the NFL after playing collegiately in Canada. The University of British Columbia product has yet to play a regular season snap, so it would certainly come as a surprise if he were to land the Week 1 job. Still, the fact that Benedet, 23, has inserted himself into the conversation is noteworthy. Incumbent Braxton Jones recently received full medical clearance and he has also seen time with the starters up front during camp.
Second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo has worked at both tackle spots this summer. The Boston College alum primarily operated as a right tackle in college, but he could find himself on the blindside depending on how the coming weeks play out. 2024 third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie has been in the mix, although he found himself with the third-team offense on Wednesday (h/t Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). The Yale product has missed considerable time this summer with a leg injury, hindering his chances of winning the starting gig. Johnson aims to have a clear-cut winner in place soon, and the upcoming preseason game could prove to be telling.
“We’ll go as long as we need to go to find the right guy,” Johnson said (via Cronen). “But we’d like to see someone go ahead and make it clear to us that he is that guy and we just haven’t seen that yet as a staff. There’s been too much up and down.”
Each of the candidates for the left tackle gig could see action on Sunday against the Bills. It will be interesting to see how Benedet in particular fares as the Bears seek out clarity regarding the overall depth chart up front.
Braxton Jones Receives Clearance; Bears Holding LT Competition
Braxton Jones made a quick leap from Division I-FCS blocker to starting NFL left tackle as a rookie, moving into the Bears’ starting lineup despite being a 2022 fifth-round pick. As Jones prepares for a contract year, however, the situation has changed.
The Bears have seen their three-year LT starter receive clearance, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Although Jones will need a ramp-up period as he wraps up his return from ankle surgery, he avoided the active/PUP list to open training camp. That is significant, but the Bears are not planning to give him the blindside gig without competition this year.
Kiran Amegadjie and Ozzy Trapilo, respectively chosen on Day 2 of the past two drafts, are competing with Jones for the LT post, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin notes. Ben Johnson referred to Jones’ experience making him the frontrunner, but the new HC referred to this as a true competition. That differs from how Chicago has proceeded at LT over the previous two summers.
Jones, 26, has started all 40 games he has played as a pro. This included 17 during the Bears’ woeful 2022 season. Over the past two years, though, the Southern Utah product has missed a combined 11 games. This included five due to knee and ankle injuries last season.
The fractured ankle Jones sustained in December defined his offseason, as he was a nonparticipant and rumored to be destined for the active/PUP list come training camp. Jones will at least have a better chance to stake his claim to keep the blindside job now that he has avoided it, but the new Bears staff will greenlight a challenge after the two abbreviated seasons.
Trapilo probably represents the bigger threat here, seeing as he is a second-round pick chosen on Johnson’s watch. Other than Darnell Wright, Trapilo is the Bears’ highest-drafted tackle (No. 56 overall) since Gabe Carimi (Round 1, 2011). Technically, Teven Jenkins (No. 39, 2021) was a tackle draftee; but he spent three years at guard in Chicago. The Bears appear prepared to, at the very least, groom the 6-foot-8 Trapilo for long-term LT duty.
Trapilo took first-team reps with the Bears’ first-stringers during team periods in their first camp workout, per Cronin. With Jones needing a bit of time to reacclimate, this does not seem to indicate Trapilo has an early lead. But it would point to the new staff having a slightly higher opinion of him than Amegadjie, chosen in Round 3 during Matt Eberflus‘ truncated final year on the job. The Yale alum missed a chunk of his rookie season due to injury, playing 125 snaps in six games.
Pro Football Focus has graded Jones as a top-35 tackle in each of his three seasons. This includes 19th- and 22nd-place rankings in 2022 and ’24. An opportunity exists for Jones to bolster his 2026 free agency stock by fending off the younger players for the gig. As of now, it does not look like he is a particularly important extension candidate in Chicago. A good contract year would place him as a high-end 2026 free agent. The next several weeks will be pivotal in forging this path.