The Chicago Bears are 2-2 at the bottom of the NFC North, but they have the talent to make a run coming out of their bye week. Their next five games are against the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and the New York Giants.
Chicago can begin chipping away at the division lead and could look to establish itself in a playoff spot after this five-game stretch of very winnable games. In order to help go on such a run, the Bears are considering making a change on offense.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Bears are expected to make a change along the offensive line. Ben Johnson and the Bears are strongly considering making a change at left tackle to bench Braxton Jones coming out of the bye week.
Bears expected to bench Braxton Jones for Week 6
The Bears, who are welcoming the Commanders to Chicago, are looking to make a switch at left tackle. After making 44 starts for the Bears since 2022, Chicago is expected to bench Jones and start Theo Benedet in his place.
"Expect left tackle to be addressed," Fowler reports. "Theo Benedet looks poised for a larger role after he replaced starter Braxton Jones in Las Vegas. The Bears could make that switch this week.
Jones, a 2022 fifth-round draft choice, has been the team's starting left tackle for the last three and a half years. This season, he's made all four starts at left tackle, and in those four games, he's played 210 snaps to Benedet's 51 snaps at left tackle.
Among all the Bears' offensive linemen this season, Jones has allowed the most pressures according to PFF (subscription required), with 15. The next closest is Drew Dalman with nine pressures allowed. Benedet, the replacement for Jones, has allowed three pressures in his limited opportunity.
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Jones has allowed 11 quarterback hurries, two quarterback hits, and two sacks, each of which leads the team. The Bears have already experimented with Benet as the starting left tackle this season, getting the bulk of the work against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.
As that matchup led into the bye week, Ben Johnson and the Bears coaches might've decided to officially go with Benedet as the new starting left tackle.
Jones hasn't been terrible this season, but with Jones battling through an ankle injury, Chicago might decide to make the switch to Benedet for their Week 6 matchup against the Commanders.
But if Jones comes out of the bye feeling healthy, then this switch might wait. However, Fowler's report indicates that this switch isn't just a loose concept, but something that the Bears are strongly considering coming out of the bye.
Chicago has what it takes to be a playoff team, and with Jones in the final year of his rookie contract, the Bears could turn to the undrafted free agent as their new left tackle for the remainder of the season.
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