Braxton Jones posted an Instagram story recently showing him taking several steps forward.

It was an important walk and talk, especially with the title accompanying it.

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“Out that boot.”

That positive news for the Bears left tackle, who had season-ending ankle surgery after getting carted off in a home game against the Detroit Lions. He’s making strides, but head coach Ben Johnson pointed out he still has a ways to go. That’s no shock, considering the injury’s severity.

“He’s right on track,” Johnson said last week at the NFL owners meetings. “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.”

That was an answer to the first portion of a two-part question. The second half referred to a more important topic.

Ben, can you envision Jones as the starting left tackle in your offense? Johnson’s answer was quick and affirmative, but it came with a caveat.

“Yes, absolutely,” Johnson said. “Listen, the No. 1 thing, in my opinion, that tackles need to do is pass protect. I think he has the feet to get that done. We’re going to challenge him to maybe gain a little more weight so that he can anchor a little bit better in pass pro. But everything I’ve seen so far has shown a phenomenal athlete out there on the edge that we feel like we can work with.” 

That constitutes a ringing endorsement for Jones despite the ill-timed injury. It sure sounds like Johnson would be ready to move forward with Jones as his left tackle, assuming he shows well once healthy. He had a solid season overall, with 26 quarterback pressures in 471 pass blocking snaps. And, when he was unavailable, the Bears took a serious dip.

His run blocking was so-so, with off tackle runs his way not resulting in much, but his work with Teven Jenkins on the inside produced big-time production. If he claims the starting spot, he’ll work with two-time All-Pro Joe Thuney in 2025. That will help everyone, following the big-time trade to get him from Kansas City.

Last year’s third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie is an option at swing tackle, and the Bears remain bullish about him.

Despite those nice things said about Jones and his previous draft record, we shouldn’t eliminate the prospect the Bears go out and draft and offensive tackle at No. 10 overall or later on at Nos. 39 and 41.

Jones will work on an expiring contract, and Amegadjie isn’t ready to step into the spotlight. General manager Ryan Poles wasn’t ready to anoint anyone at left tackle, and it’s clear the Bears are evaluating offensive tackles expected to go high in this draft.

“I think it makes us ask tough questions when we’re watching, specifically, the left tackle, like, ‘is this guy gonna make us better in Year 1, Year 2, Year 3? How do we feel about our guys?’ Especially in the case where (offensive line coach Dan Roushar) and (assistant Kyle Devan) and (offensive coordinator Declan Doyle) haven’t really had time with either one of their tackles.

“There’s a lot to work through, but I’m confident that when we sit down and talk through it, and look at the guys in this year’s draft — and plus we’ve gotta see how it plays out, too. If we have two, three guys that we think are in that spot, they may not be there at 10, either. We’ll be ready for all the different situations that pop up.”

Johnson and his staff will have a chance to work with the Bears tackle options starting on Monday, when their offseason program begins. Each interaction will represent a data point as they try to make smart decisions on an important part of the offensive line.

Jones may have the inside track on a starting spot he has held for three years now. Deciding who assumes it in 2025 and beyond isn’t quite set yet. That will be a position to watch during in the NFL draft, which will tell us more than any quote about what they think about the state of the position.

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