The Chicago Bears re-signed several of their in-house free agents over the past couple of days. Once the new league year began on Wednesday, the team sent out announcements for all of them. Each was congratulated for returning in a Twitter (X) post. That included special teams aces Daniel Hardy and Elijah Hicks, linebacker D’Marco Jackson, guard Jordan McFadden, and quarterback Case Keenum. However, there was one glaring omission from that group: Braxton Jones.
Reports indicated the Bears had re-signed the left tackle to a 1-year deal worth up to $10 million. Nothing seemed overly complicated about it. Jones gets another chance to start and maybe rebuild his value for free agency in 2027, while Chicago gets somebody they know who has starting experience. So why no announcement of his return? Maybe it’s just a logistical issue, but after watching what just happened with Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby in Baltimore, it could signal something is going on.
Are the Bears eyeing an alternative to Braxton Jones?
The free-agent market has been active for days, but one position hasn’t seen as much action as many expected. That is left tackle. Rasheed Walker, widely considered the best option before things kicked off, remains unsigned. So does veteran Cam Robinson. Perhaps the biggest surprise is Taylor Decker. The former Pro Bowler was recently released by Detroit over a contract dispute. There hasn’t been a peep from his camp since it happened. Such a deadlock feels surprising for a position of that importance.
It leads one to wonder whether the Bears sense that prices might be dropping. Suddenly, their chances of landing Decker, which seemed hopeless because of his project contract, might now be realistic. While Braxton Jones is a decent player, Decker would be a superior option, even in his 30s. He is also somebody with direct ties to head coach Ben Johnson. If anybody might be willing to back off the Jones contract in favor of pursuing a better option, it would be him.
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Ben Johnson is the one steering this ship.
It’s well known that he is a stickler when it comes to the left tackle position. He conducted a long competition in training camp last year, and never actually declared a winner. The competition carried into the season. Braxton Jones held it initially, but struggles led to him getting benched in favor of Theo Benedet. He, in turn, was benched for Ozzy Trapilo, who played well up until his patella injury in the playoff win over Green Bay. Bringing back Jones probably wasn’t his first choice, but Johnson is smart enough to know that sometimes the market doesn’t develop as hoped.
Maybe something has changed in the past day or two. The longer this odd silence on the Jones signing continues, the more intriguing it becomes. Free agency is a market of timelines. The longer this goes with no movement among the left tackles, the lower the prices drop. Sometimes the league is strange that way. If the Bears think they can snag Decker for a team-friendly deal, it is a smart decision, even if it cruelly undercuts Jones at the same time.