The Chicago Bears find themselves balancing delicately between buyers and sellers as the NFL trade deadline approaches early next month. The team’s position remains uncertain—they could end up being both or neither.
On Wednesday, October 22, Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen of ESPN ranked left tackle Braxton Jones as the No. 17 player on their list of the top 25 potential trade candidates for 2025. Jones has appeared in 46 games for Chicago over the past three and a half seasons, starting 44 of them.
“Rival teams agree that Jones is a sensible trade candidate after his benching in favor of Theo Benedet and his résumé as a multi-year starter in Chicago,” Fowler wrote. “Jones is also in a contract year and is now healthy following an ankle issue that plagued him for much of 2025.”
### Braxton Jones Holds More Value for Playoff-Contending Teams Than for the Bears
Jones has been a solid, though not standout, player since the Bears selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Southern Utah (No. 168 overall). Now in the final year of his $4 million rookie contract, Chicago could likely trade him for a pick of similar value.
Teams like the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers have legitimate playoff aspirations but also face injury-related holes along their offensive lines. Both franchises could benefit from a player like Jones.
The Bears invested heavily in revamping their offensive line this offseason. They traded a fourth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for Joe Thuney and a sixth-round pick to the Rams for Jonah Jackson—Chicago’s two starting guards. They also signed starting center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract this spring.
With Darnell Wright, the No. 10 overall pick in 2023, continuing to perform well as the starting right tackle, Chicago is expected to target a high-quality left tackle through the draft or free agency next offseason. This is true even if Theo Benedet, an undrafted rookie out of Canada in 2024, continues to play well.
Given this context, the Bears have little incentive to retain Jones, who they are unlikely to re-sign in 2026. Other playoff-contending teams could find more immediate value in him, enhancing his trade market appeal.
### Bears Could Explore Trades for Running Back or Edge Rusher
While moving Jones for a draft pick is one plausible strategy, Chicago could also look to bolster its roster by acquiring an edge rusher or running back before the deadline.
That said, Dan Wiederer of The Athletic advised the Bears to “stand pat” as of Wednesday. “A four-game winning streak has become intoxicating, awakening Chicago’s imagination for what might be possible,” Wiederer noted. “That should give general manager Ryan Poles the opportunity to at least window shop, to browse trade street window fronts for sales that offer possible help for the backfield or defensive line. But 2025, the first season on Ben Johnson’s watch, was never the year to strike, more so a time to create direction toward a sustained run of success. The Bears should value their current draft capital above all else, retain long-term focus, and continue to build a contender that can last.”
While Wiederer makes a valid point, there remain players on the trade market who could help the Bears build the contender he envisions.
One such player is running back Breece Hall of the New York Jets. Although Chicago has enjoyed impressive recent performances from D’Andre Swift and a solid outing from seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7—reducing the immediate need at running back—Hall represents a potential long-term solution at the position for the next half-decade.
If Hall becomes available, it would certainly be worth Chicago opening discussions.
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As the trade deadline nears, the Bears must weigh short-term gains against long-term development carefully. Whether by moving players like Braxton Jones or exploring trade opportunities for impact contributors, the organization aims to build towards sustained success in the coming years.
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