When it was revealed that the Detroit Lions were releasing longtime left tackle Taylor Decker, everybody expected the Chicago Bears to be a prime destination. It made sense. They needed a stopgap at left tackle with Ozzy Trapilo likely to miss most of 2026 with his knee injury. Decker had deep ties with head coach Ben Johnson from their time together in Detroit. Both sides felt like a great match. Unfortunately, it appears things didn’t develop as hoped. Chicago made their decision pretty clear when news broke that Braxton Jones was returning on a one-year deal worth $5 million with another $5 million in incentives.
Before Decker became available, the prevailing assumption was that bringing Jones back might be the Bears’ best option short of drafting somebody in the 1st round. That was never palatable because the team doesn’t have a high enough draft slot. Keeping Jones would give them someone with starting experience who knows the offense. It isn’t the splash Decker would’ve been, but it gives the Bears some stability at a crucial position as they try focusing on improving their 29th-ranked defense.