The Chicago Bears closed the 2025 season with real momentum, finishing 11–6 and capturing their first NFC North title since 2018. It also marked the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2020, an immediate statement in Ben Johnson's first year at the helm.
For Bears fans, it was an unfamiliar but welcome development, with an offense that finally stabilized, a dependable run game, and an offensive line that, for stretches, looked like one of the NFL's best.
That structure up front played a major role in the leap from former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. Williams delivered his most complete season to date, throwing for 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, while adding 388 rushing yards and three more scores on the ground.
That breakout campaign shaped expectations for the offseason, with the goal being to keep the core intact, add depth, and avoid scrambling to fix obvious holes along the offensive line.
Then came a new wrinkle.
On Friday, CBS Sports contributor Zachary Pereles identified Braxton Jones as one of the NFL's top "under-the-radar" free agents, a notable designation given how quietly Jones' 2025 season slipped off the radar.
Pereles pointed to a year derailed by offseason ankle surgery, a rocky Week 1 return, and a subsequent knee injury that ultimately stalled Jones' momentum.
Jones started just four of the six games he appeared in, a sharp contrast to the three previous seasons in which he served as a regular starter at left tackle.
However, to Pereles’ point, context matters.
Jones is still just 26 years old, and he owns significant starting experience at one of the league's most premium positions. Plus, prior to the injury setbacks, he had shown steady development following a challenging rookie campaign.
That combination of youth, experience, and pre-injury trajectory shifts the conversation from liability to potential buy-low value.
For the Bears, the offensive line was central to the team's 2025 surge, particularly in the development of Williams. Stability up front helped fuel one of the league's more efficient passing attacks and a consistently productive ground game, with D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai both turning in strong seasons.
That's why the potential loss of a former full-time starter at left tackle, even one coming off injuries and a limited 2025, complicates the depth equation for a franchise looking to build on one of its strongest seasons in recent memory.
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