Many fans and analysts alike are wondering whether the Chicago Bears will replace starting left tackle Braxton Jones this offseason.
While serviceable, Jones, who has started 40 games over his three seasons with the team, has been injured in each of the last two seasons. When healthy, he’s an average LT at best.
For a set team investing heavily in quarterback Caleb Williams, protecting his blindside should become a top priority. If Jones continues to show inconsistency, the Bears may feel compelled to pursue a more reliable, high-upside left tackle through the draft or free agency.
NFL.com’s Matt Okada thinks the answer might be waiting in the form of Baltimore Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley.
“It’s possible Baltimore brings him back — which appears to be a priority for general manager Eric DeCosta — but the team isn’t exactly brimming with cap space,” Okada wrote. “If the Ravens are forced to let him walk, I could see a bidding war between the Patriots, Commanders and Bears — three teams with top-tier cap space and a glaring need to protect the franchise quarterbacks they drafted last April.”
LT Ronnie Stanley Would Be a Huge Signing for Chicago Bears
While at the NFL scouting combine, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Stanley may be getting close to re-signing with the Ravens.
“The sense out of Indy is that the Ravens and left tackle Ronnie Stanley can agree to terms on an extension in the coming days,” Fowler wrote on March 2. “That’s hardly a slam dunk, but there’s a sentiment to try to make that happen. Some inside the league are projecting that deal to land somewhere between $21-23 million per year.”
If the Ravens do let him go, the Bears should pounce. Stanley, an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2019, has started 104 games in his career and has played in seven playoff games with Baltimore. His experience in a successful run-heavy and play-action offense with the Ravens could help the Bears’ run game immensely — and that’ll help Williams.
“The main concern with Stanley is injury — 2024 was the first full season of his career and he’d missed more games over the prior four years (35) than he’d played (31),” Okada noted. “Considering the price tag he’s likely to carry into 2025 (that of a top-10 tackle), a regression in health or effectiveness on the field would be pretty concerning for the team that signs him.”
PFF has Stanley projected to sign a two-year contract worth $40 million ($27.5 million guaranteed). For a Bears team with $80 million in cap space, that type of contract would’t be a problem. There would be some risk involved due to Stanley’s injury history, but he held up well last year, starting all 17 games.
Stanley’s 514 run block snaps in 2024 ranked second at the position, and in 575 pass block snaps, he allowed 2.0 sacks, 4 QB hits and 29 hurries, per PFF.
What About Braxton Jones?
In 2024, Jones struggled with both consistency and injuries, raising questions about whether Chicago needs to upgrade the position. Although Jones has been a solid find as a fifth-round pick in 2022, his performance has been uneven over his three seasons, especially against elite edge rushers.
While Jones has been a capable run blocker, his ability to sustain blocks in extended play-action designs has been far from consistent. According to Sports Info Solutions, Jones ranked below average in pass-blocking win rate on play-action plays in 2023. As the Bears’ offensive philosophy evolves under new head coach Ben Johnson, they may prefer a more athletically gifted or technically refined tackle who fits better into Johnson’s scheme.
Make no mistake — a move for Stanley would be a move to replace Jones, as Stanley has exclusively been at LT his entire career. The odds are in Baltimore’s favor when it comes to retaining him, but if those negotiations fall through, the Bears should absolutely look into adding him.
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