Chicago Bears re-sign LT Braxton Jones in NFL Free Agency: What it means for the team

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The Chicago Bears' left tackle situation will be something to monitor. Especially because the left tackle situation took a turn on Monday.

Braxton Jones, a player some thought would benefit from a change in scenery after the 2025 season, will re-sign with the Bears on a one-year deal, according to reports.

Here's what it might mean for the Bears and the left tackle competition.

What we know:

Jones is no stranger to starting for the Bears. He's started 44 games in his four seasons with the Bears. He even won the left tackle job in Week 1.

After that, an injury kept Jones out for most of the season. He never truly got a chance to fit into the starting job, either. A broken leg ended Jones' 2024 season and the recovery kept him out for most of the offseason programs.

When he started Week 1, he wasn't 100 percent. Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar said that physically, Jones was ready to play. Mentally, he was still catching up to the speed he needed to be in order to be an effective starter.

When he was put on injured reserve on Oct. 25, he got a chance to truly recover his body. Jones has a practice window open as he worked his way back from injured reserve, and the Bears liked where he was at.

"He's been excellent, and he's a team-first guy," Roushar said on Jan. 7. "Everybody in there is, but I'm sure there's a lot of disappointment with the injuries that he's dealt with. All those things."

What that stint on injured reserve did do for Jones was it allowed his mind to truly reset. He didn't play in the playoff loss to the Rams, but that was more in part of the Bears moving Joe Thuney from guard to tackle and slotting Jordan McFadden in at guard against the Los Angeles front of Jared Verse, Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner.

But, Jones was activated and available if needed. 

"Mentally, he's in a good spot," Roushar said then. "He's ready to help us win."

Now, he'll more than likely get a chance to win that starting left tackle job again. The Bears have signed exclusive rights free agent Theo Benedet to a one-year deal, meaning Benedet and Jones will get a chance to compete for the starting left tackle job with Ozzy Trapilo recovering from a serious knee injury.

"Really unfortunate because I thought that he was really coming along, I was looking forward to him getting this offseason," Bears general manager Ryan Poles said on Jan. 21. "I don't have a specific timetable, I'm sure that it will be somewhere deep into next year, for the injury. Had a good conversation with him, he knows that this is part of his journey that he is going to have to overcome. I have a lot of faith in him and our staff to get him back and ready to go, whenever that is. But, a specific timetable, I don't have that right now."

What's next:

There are still a few offensive tackles available for the Bears to sign if they want to pursue a veteran route for next season.

Cam Robinson, Taylor Decker, Rasheed Walker and others are available, but after those three the list of names don't have much starting experience at the NFL level. Jones' signing might mean the likes of Decker could be commanding money on the open market the Bears just can't afford with depth and the NFL Draft class still remaining to sign.

Jones' return gives the Bears some comfortabilty as a player who has started for the Bears before and carries plenty of prior starting experience at a low price point.