Bears settle on Braxton Jones at left tackle for opener against Panthers
Ben Johnson announced Tuesday that Braxton Jones will start at left tackle Sunday against Carolina, ending a summer-long competition on the Bears' offensive line
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The Bears have their Week 1 left tackle. Ben Johnson announced Tuesday that Braxton Jones will start against the Panthers on Sunday, settling a competition that ran through the offseason and into camp.
Jones won the job over Theo Benedet after Kiran Amegadjie and Jedrick Wills — two others who were in the mix — were released during the roster cutdown. He brings 44 regular-season starts at the position over the last four seasons to an offensive line that has been a focal point all summer; Johnson called left tackle a hot spot for the team last month.
The assignment is Jones's for at least the opener, and it could extend well beyond: Ozzy Trapilo, who manned the left side last season, is still working his way back from the patellar tendon injury he suffered in the postseason, and Johnson said there is no timeline for Trapilo's return. Jones gets the first shot at making the job his for an extended run.