Saturday proved to be a positive one for the Chicago Bears. New hit around noon that the organization had reached an agreement with defensive end Montez Sweat on a contract extension. He is locked up for the next four years at $24.5 million per season.
While expensive, he is a much-needed proven commodity on a defensive line that has none. However, the news didn’t end there. An hour later, the team dropped a second bombshell. Left tackle Braxton Jones was officially activated off Injured Reserve.
He practiced in full on Friday. This means his neck is finally healthy. Barring a setback, it looks like he will make his official return on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Jones’ absence has been felt for over a month now, missing the previous six games with a neck injury. There were fears whether he might return at all. Thankfully, it appears the problem has cleared up. Just in time, too. New Orleans is notorious for having a tough defensive line to deal with. Larry Borom has been serviceable filling in, but it’s obvious he is a backup far too often. If the Bears are going to pull off an upset, they need to protect Tyson Bagent as best they can.
There is another reason the Chicago Bears should be happy.
It gives them nine more games to evaluate Jones as their left tackle. They were hopeful that the former 5th round pick had the potential to become a fixture at that spot long-term. However, they wanted to see if he could take a step forward in performance after a promising rookie year. Things started out well. He allowed only four pressures in the first two games. Then, the injury happened. Chicago still has no answers. Jones returning now should give them a solid two months of extra tape to evaluate before making a decision.
Ongoing signs point to the 2024 draft being strong at the tackle position, especially in the top 10. The Chicago Bears will likely have two picks in that range. If Poles isn’t sure about Jones being the guy, he can turn around and take one of the top guys on his board. If Jones performs well, he might shift his focus to another position of need, like wide receiver, center, or defensive tackle. The ball is in his court. He must bring his best if he wants to secure that job.
