Tag: Braxton Jones

Bears 2024 minicamp Day 3: Braxton Jones, Nate Davis among those not practicing

The Bears wrapped up their mandatory minicamp on Thursday with a handful of players not participating in team activities.

Mandatory minicamp is officially over for the Chicago Bears as they completed their third and final practice of the week. The Bears had a shorter and lighter practice on Thursday before the veterans break before the summer. A handful of players did not take part in team activities on the field, however.

Offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie and wide receivers Tyler Scott and Dante Pettis missed practice for a second day in a row. Guard Nate Davis was also not participating for the second time this week. Others who were out include cornerback Kyler Gordon, defensive end Austin Booker, and wide receiver Collin Johnson. Bear Report’s Zack Pearson indicates Jones and Gordon were not present at all, while the others were not participating.

Though there were quite a few players not available, head coach Matt Eberflus continued to say it was just precautionary. The Bears veterans won’t be back on the field until sometime in mid-July, while the rookies will take part in one more organized team activity (OTA) next week.

Bears 2024 minicamp Day 2: Cole Kmet, Braxton Jones held out of practice

The Bears completed their second minicamp practice, but two starters on offense did not participate.

Day 2 of mandatory minicamp is in the books for the Chicago Bears, and a few prominent veterans on offense who were out there on Tuesday did not practice on Wednesday.

Tight end Cole Kmet and offensive tackle Braxton Jones were held out of practice on Wednesday. Other players who did not participate include wide receivers Tyler Scott and Dante Pettis and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, according to NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock.

Though Kmet and Jones did not practice, head coach Matt Eberflus said there was no cause for concern as both players were held out for precautionary reasons. “Today, you saw that Cole and Braxton didn’t practice; again, that’s just precautionary,” Eberflus told reporters after practice. “When guys feel a certain way, certain thing, they get with the trainers; just work on that so they can get ready for summer conditioning because that’s coming up here pretty shortly.”

According to CHGO’s Adam Hoge, Kmet got banged up during Tuesday’s practice but still finished the session. Kmet made a nice leaping catch in the middle of the field on a pass from quarterback Caleb Williams during that practice.

Though some players were out, there was good news regarding defensive end Montez Sweat and guard Nate Davis. Both players returned to team drills after they sat out during Tuesday’s practice.

The Bears have just one more day of minicamp before they depart Halas Hall for an extended period of time.

This position along Bears offensive line could be a strength in 2024

The Bears offensive line remains a work in progress, but they should be excited about the potential of Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright.

The Chicago Bears offensive line has been a work in progress since general manager Ryan Poles took over three years ago. While it’s far from a finished product, there have certainly been improvements made, including at tackle.

Pro Football Focus recently released their top 32 offensive tackle rankings, and the Bears had not one, but two guys on the list: Braxton Jones (31) and Darnell Wright (32).

Most people would agree that Jones is an above-average left tackle, but is he elite? Probably not. However, Wright may be elite one day on the right side. He was sensational in his rookie year. We’ll see if Wright becomes a Pro Bowl-caliber guy in the coming years. He has the talent to do so.

Although Jones is ranked higher than Wright, most people believe that Wright will jump higher on this list in the coming years. He’s a big part of their core and plans for the future.

Although it isn’t perfect, there is a lot of hope for this Bears offensive line, and these two tackles have a lot to do with it. If a guy like Teven Jenkins can stay healthy, they might be good enough to be a playoff-caliber offensive line.

Bears’ Braxton Jones, Darnell Wright make PFF’s list of top NFL offensive tackles

Both starting offensive tackles cracked PFF’s top 32 players at the position heading into the 2024 season.

The Chicago Bears spent the offseason overhauling their offense, from drafting quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze to acquiring veterans such as wide receiver Keenan Allen and running back D’Andre Swift. While the skill positions were upgraded, general manager Ryan Poles chose to maintain the status quo with most of the offensive line, specifically at the tackle position.

While many fans wanted to see an upgrade, one NFL analyst believes both Bears starting tackles can be considered near the top of the position rankings.

Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released his top 32 offensive tackles heading into the 2024 season, and both Bears starting tackles just barely cracked the list. Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright came in at No. 31 and 32, respectively, making the Bears one of nine teams to have both of their tackles listed. Here is what Buday had to say about Jones:

A fifth-round pick out of Southern Utah in 2022, Jones proved in 2023 that his impressive rookie season was not a fluke. Although he was slowed down by an injury and had a bit of a decline from his 2022 season, he is still one of 24 offensive tackles to have earned pass-blocking grades over 70.0 in each of the last two seasons.

And Wright:

The only second-year player on this list, Wright’s 66.0 run-blocking grade ranked first among his rookie class. In addition, he was also promising in pass protection toward the second half of the season after going through some growing pains in the first month. After giving up one sack in each of his first five games in the NFL, the former Tennessee Volunteer allowed just three sacks in his final 12 games.

The Bears invested a first-round pick in Wright, who was selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. As Buday points out, he’s the only player from his draft class to be included in this list, beating out the likes of Paris Johnson Jr., Broderick Jones, and Dawand Jones. Wright started all 17 games of his rookie season and has a bright future ahead of him.

As for Jones, many wondered if Poles would look to upgrade at the left tackle position this offseason. The 2022 fifth-round pick has been solid, but with players such as Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu available in this year’s draft, it seemed possible the Bears could move off Jones in favor of someone else. Poles chose to go in a different direction, however, meaning Jones gets to keep his starting spot as he continues to develop.

At first glance, seeing both Bears tackles at the very bottom of the list might not move the needle for fans. Seeing as there are 64 starting offensive tackles in the league, Jones and Wright are essentially considered average players at their position at this point in their careers. But on the other hand, they’re both still young and ascending. Plus, having two capable tackles is a far cry from what this offensive line looked like just a couple of years ago. With the additions at the other positions, the Bears offense is shaping up to be a solid unit in 2024.

Mics picked up Bears OT Braxton Jones’ confusing NSFW reaction to getting pulled

Why was he so mad? And why did the Bears pull him???

As they essentially fight for their season every week now, the Chicago Bears showed a little feistiness against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. In Justin Fields’ first game since a thumb injury, the Bears took it to the NFC North leader on the road, carrying a 23-14 lead in the fourth quarter.

But before Chicago could stamp its imprint, something curious happened with starting left tackle Braxton Jones. After a first down play that went nowhere, the Bears curiously had to pull Jones off the field. He did not take kindly to this, as on-field microphones picked up the big man cussing someone out on the field.

What was Jones so upset about? This was a little bizarre. (Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)

Jones would eventually reenter the game after a stint in the medical tent, but he was clearly furious about whatever incited his temporarily being pulled. Here’s a full video of the entire sequence, which, once again, has NSFW language:

Bears LT Braxton Jones won’t play Sunday night vs. Chargers

Matt Eberflus said Bears LT Braxton Jones is a “no go” for Sunday night’s game vs. Chargers.

The Chicago Bears have yet to have their intended starting offensive line on the field this season, and that will continue when the team heads out west to face the Los Angeles Chargers in prime time.

The Bears designed left tackle Braxton Jones to return from injured reserve this week. Jones has missed the previous five games after suffering a neck injury in a Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jones was a limited participant in practice all week, but head coach Matt Eberflus described him as a “no go” for Sunday night’s game against the Chargers.

“We’ll talk about that more next week,” Ebeflus told reporters Friday. “We don’t know exactly where he is in terms of like the movements and all those things but with the trainer, he’s working good.”

The good news? Right tackle Darnell Wright, who’s been dealing with shoulder and toe injuries, was a full participant in Friday’s practice and doesn’t have a game designation.

Wright will anchor the right side of the offensive line, alongside Teven Jenkins, who’s filling in at right guard for an injured Nate Davis.

Bears LT Braxton Jones designated to return from IR

It sounds like the Bears are close to getting back starting LT Braxton Jones, who’s returning to practice Wednesday.

The Chicago Bears could be getting back a key member of the offensive line ahead of Sunday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Bears left tackle Braxton Jones has been designated to return from injured reserve, and he’ll return to practice on Wednesday, head coach Matt Eberflus announced.

Jones suffered a neck injury in a Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he landed on IR shortly after. Jones was required to miss at least four games, and he was eligible to return last week against the Las Vegas Raiders.

As for what Jones needs to prove in order to return to the lineup, Eberflus cited “functionality” in terms of his movement, as well as conditioning.

Jones’ return would provide a huge boost to a Bears offensive line coming off a solid outing against the Raiders. Larry Borom has struggled at times in Jones’ absence.

Defensive lineman Khalil Kareem, who was claimed off waivers ahead of the season, has also been designated to return from IR.

5 biggest storylines going into Week 3 against the Chiefs

The Bears are looking to get the win against the Chiefs in Week 3. We break down the biggest storylines to watch.

The Chicago Bears will face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, as the team attempts to score their first win of the season.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: The Bears are thoroughly outmatched. The Chiefs have more talent, better coaches and better organizational structure, as evidenced by this week’s events at Halas Hall. Still, part of being a fan is rooting for your team even in the face of imminent peril, and a win is not out of the question. Stranger things have happened in the league that has the motto of “any given Sunday.”

There will be some interesting storylines to keep track of as the game progresses. So let’s break them all down as we go over the five biggest storylines going into Week 3 against the Chiefs.

Chicago Bears Stock Exchange: Who’s up and who’s down entering Week 3?

Here are the Bears players who raised and lowered their stock this week.

The collective stock of the Chicago Bears is in the toilet this week after another frustrating loss leaves them at 0-2 to start the year. The Bears couldn’t stop Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, losing 27-17 with very few answers on either side of the ball.

Despite playing a closer game on the road, the Bears are still looking for those standout performers to make themselves known on a consistent basis. Some players did exceed expectations last Sunday, while others were put through the ringer.

Here is our Chicago Bears Stock Exchange heading into Week 3 of the season.

5 things to know ahead of Bears vs. Chiefs in Week 3

From Ryan Poles and Matt Nagy facing their former teams to series history, here’s what to know ahead of the Bears’ Week 3 game vs. Chiefs.

It’s been an interesting week for the Chicago Bears at Halas Hall ahead of their Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Quarterback Justin Fields admitted he felt that he’s being overcoached and he’ll try to play to his strengths more in Sunday’s game, head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed that starting left tackle Braxton Jones has been placed on injured reserve with no clear timetable for his return and defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned from his position to address his health.

As nightmarish as these last few days have been for Chicago, it may do some good to look ahead to Week 3 ‘s matchup between the Bears and Chiefs.

Here are five things to know heading into Bears vs. Chiefs in Week 3.