NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears haven’t recorded a head-to-head victory against the Green Bay Packers since Dec. 16, 2018.
That comes out to 2,017 days (and counting) if you’re keeping score at home.
So, yeah, I’m going to take whatever win I can get in this rivalry — even if it comes via Braxton Jones in a game of cornhole:
In case you missed it, the Bears-Packers rivalry extended to a new medium over the weekend. A long-standing matchup built on the grassy gridiron of Lambeau Field and Soldier Field moved to whatever surface they play cornhole on these days. And leave it to Bears left tackle Braxton Jones to come up victorious — and taking down some Cheeseheads along the way. Picking up the franchise’s first win against Green Bay in any capacity in quite some time is quite the accomplishment. Way to go, Braxton.
I’m not sure you could’ve picked a better player than Jones to snap the skid. A Day 3 pick in 2022 as part of Bears General Manager Ryan Poles’ first draft class, Braxton Jones has exceeded expectations at every turn. It has been fun following the career arc of the Southern Utah University product as he went from being a fifth-round pick you’d hope could climb the depth chart to two-year starter at left tackle. I can’t wait to see what is on the horizon.
What is next for Chicago Bears left tackle Braxton Jones?
You can make an argument for this being an important year for many members of Chicago’s football team, Braxton Jones better be near the top of your list.
The 25-year-old left tackle has a lot riding on this season. Jones enters Year 3 of his rookie deal and is an unquestioned starter at his position. And with good reason. He graded out as the 35th best offensive tackle among the 81 who played enough snaps to qualify for the leaderboard at Pro Football Focus. Technically, that is a step back from where Jones was in 2022 when PFF ranked him as the 19th best offensive tackle with a 75.4 grade. But even with the drop-off, Jones still grades out as an average or slightly above average offensive tackle. Those guys are ridiculously valuable — even more so when they are playing on a rookie contract.
With that in mind, Jones needs to have another quality season where he continues to be a solid and dependable left tackle. Firstly, because it will make Caleb Williams’ life as a rookie quarterback that much easier. Everybody eats if Jones holds up his end of the bargain protecting Williams’ blindside. Wide receivers such as Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, and Keenan Allen will feast if the pass blocking holds up. Same for tight ends including Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett. If the passing game gets cooking, it’ll make for some running lanes for D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Khalil Herbert. You better believe Braxton Jones blocking on the backside will be a huge part of any Bears offensive success.
If Jones puts together another solid season in 2024, it could put Chicago’s front office in a sticky predicament.
Quality left tackles don’t grow on trees. And you can’t expect to draft one in round five every spring. Should Braxton Jones have another good year, then discussions about a potential extension will likely emerge. Those conversations will have merit if Jones plays well again. However, that might not be the type of new deal that is easy to draw up because of what it could do to the Bears’ salary cap situation.
Since March 2023, the Bears handed out sizable deals to Tremaine Edmunds, Montez Sweat, Jaylon Johnson, and Cole Kmet. DJ Moore (and possibly Keenan Allen) could be next. D’Andre Swift and T.J. Edwards were able to get a pretty penny on their free-agent contracts, too, now that I’m thinking about it. You really can’t pay everyone in a league with a hard salary cap — even if it grows exponentially each year.
If Braxton Jones gets a big-money extension, what would it mean for fellow offensive Teven Jenkins? Would a Jones extension take the Bears out of the market to spend at a different position, such as defensive tackle? It’s too early to think about Caleb Williams’ second contract. But every big quarterback deal that has been signed this offseason is a reminder that a future Caleb contract is something the Bears should be stashing some money away for if (when) that time comes.
I write all of that to say this: Braxton Jones playing well enough to get us thinking about an extension would be the best problem to have. It would mean that Jones is playing well. And if he is playing well, then I would like to imagine that it would not be a stretch to believe that others on the offense will be playing well, too.
However, if Jones does not take another step in the right direction (or if he takes a step back) in 2023, at least the Bears will be in a good position to address a potential need. Perhaps next year’s NFL Draft will be one loaded with quality offensive tackle prospects. Having a stud quarterback, left tackle, and wide receiver on rookie-scale contracts is the type of thing that could provide some much-needed cap flexibility that a forward-thinking front office could truly leverage.
But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it down the line. In the meantime, let us not take Braxton Jones for granted while he is here and playing well.
