The Chicago Bears left tackle competition seemed to be settled going into training camp with Braxton Jones set to win the job, especially after he took a majority of starting reps through the first week-plus.
However, that was derailed very quickly when Jones went down with injury during practice on Aug. 6. Now, Jedrick Wills Jr. and Kiran Amegadjie have been rotating in Jones' absence (he's day-to-day), and it seems like Wills could make a move for the starting job.
"Jed was a guy that’s supremely talented coming out of Alabama," head coach Ben Johnson said. "[He] started off really well in Cleveland, and then obviously the injuries slowed him down. But to me, it’s the case of a player who is still gaining his confidence and strength levels back
up. I think he’s starting to understand: 'Man, I still can play at a really, really high level.'"
Wills was a top-10 draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was a solid left tackle for the Cleveland Browns for his first three years in the NFL before a severe knee injury took him out for part of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and he sat out all of 2025 to fully recover. So far, the biggest question for Johnson concerning Wills is whether he can pass protect at an elite level.
"And I keep going back: How well can he pass protect one-on-one?" Johnson said. "Well, he’s got the traits, long arms. He’s able to mirror pass rushers, and so it’s all there. It’s just a matter of consistency right now, and familiarity with what we’re doing. He’s a little bit behind the other guys just because he hasn’t been in the system for a year."
Chicago’s first unofficial depth chart does not provide much clarity with the starting left tackle listed as Braxton Jones or Jedrick Wills or Kiran Amegadjie, in that order. Perhaps the Bears’ first preseason on Saturday against the Browns will shed more light on who the left tackle battle.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson sounds off on Jedrick Wills in Bears' left tackle battle
