The Chicago Bears placed starting left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve Saturday after a knee injury suffered in Monday’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, a move that will sideline him for at least the next four games.
Jones exited the Soldier Field victory early and was initially viewed as week to week. The club instead opted for the longer absence, removing him from the active roster ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
Theo Benedet is expected to handle the left tackle spot in the interim. The Bears also continue to monitor Ozzy Trapilo, who is working back from a torn patellar tendon suffered in last season’s playoffs.
“We’re still working out Ozzy just to make sure that the confidence is back,” head coach Ben Johnson said. “He’s looking better each and every week. He was one of those guys in Wednesday night’s practice in pads. He stood out in a good way.”
In corresponding moves, the Bears elevated defensive lineman Marcus Davenport and defensive back Nick McCloud from the practice squad for the Jets game. Both are standard elevations and will return to the practice squad afterward under league rules.
Davenport, an eight-year veteran, joined the practice squad before the regular season. He has appeared in 77 career regular-season games with 44 starts, recording 25.0 sacks, 71 quarterback hits and seven forced fumbles.
McCloud returned to Chicago this season and signed to the practice squad before Week 3. He has played in 62 career regular-season games with 20 starts, including 15 appearances and four starts for the Bears last season.
The loss of Jones comes after a strong start to the year. Through three games he had allowed one of the lowest pressure rates in the league at 2.4 percent, according to tracking data cited in team coverage.
His absence adds another layer of uncertainty to an offense already without starting quarterback Caleb Williams, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The Bears are expected to start Tyson Bagent against the Jets, according to a source report. Case Keenum started and played well in the Monday night win over the Eagles after Williams left the previous game.
Johnson has declined to name a starter publicly through the week.
“There is such a thing as playing the hot hand,” Johnson said Friday. “That is real. We’re certainly taking that into consideration. And yet, there’s a body of work that goes into it as well. There’s a lot of factors at play, and we certainly have talked about it as a coaching staff.”
Jones’ placement on injured reserve means he will miss the Jets game and the following three contests, including a matchup with the Green Bay Packers. He cannot return before that window expires.
The offensive line had been a relative strength early, with Jones holding the left side while Trapilo progressed in practice. Benedet has taken snaps at the position and is the immediate option.
Davenport and McCloud give the defense short-term depth for a Jets team that presents different personnel looks. Neither elevation alters the longer-term picture at tackle.
The Bears will finalize the rest of the inactive list before kickoff. How the line and quarterback combination hold up without Jones will shape the next month of the schedule.
