The Los Angeles Chargers are hurting up front, with injuries to both star tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. And according to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Chargers are making “preliminary inquiries at the running back and tackle position.”
The Chicago Bears could offer left tackle Braxton Jones in a trade that would benefit both sides.
Bears Should Trade Braxton Jones to the Chargers
Jones, who has 44 career starts as the Bears’ starting left tackle, has his fair share of highs and lows with the team. He eventually was benched during Week 4’s win against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he’s still a starting-caliber tackle. In the last year of his rookie deal, Jones wouldn’t come with a high asking price and could benefit from a change of scenery. The Chargers should be able to bring him in for a sixth or even a seventh-round pick.
Part of what made Jones’ start of the season shaky was his season-ending injury back during the 2024 season. It’s unclear whether Jones was fully healthy to start the 2025 season, but Bears’ offensive line coach Dan Roushar commented on Jones’ determination to get back to full strength, saying, “The guy is battling his a** off. He’s trying.”
Now that Jones isn’t the starter, the Bears could look to get anything they can in return for the former fifth-round draft pick. Jones is set to be a free agent this offseason, and the Bears will likely decide to move on rather than hand him a $20 million+ contract.
Braxton Jones vs. Dallas:
31 pass-blocking snaps
0 pressures allowed
0 sacks allowed
0 penalties86.2 pass-blocking grade (2nd highest in the NFL in Week 3) pic.twitter.com/9iU7ZSbTQL
— Dave (@dave_bfr) September 22, 2025
Why the Chargers Could Benefit from Trading for Jones
The Chargers have strong hopes of not only making the playoffs but also the Super Bowl. Justin Herbert has played lights out this season, and at 4-2, the season is not over by any means for the Bolts.
Adding Jones at left tackle could provide the team with an upgrade over the current starter, Austin Deculus, until Alt and/or Slater are fully healthy. If the Chargers want to save their season, they would likely need to make a move for a running back and tackle, as Anderson mentioned the team is looking to do.
This isn’t to say that Jones would be the clear-cut top option for the Chargers, but nonetheless, he could very well be available for a low cost.
The Chargers add a proven starter at one of the most important positions in football, and the Bears recoup some draft capital for a player that will likely sign with a different team during the offseason. A win-win scenario for both sides.
Main Image: Rich Storry – Imagn Images
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