(4) Johnson indicated that left tackle Braxton Jones has bulked up and is “very determined to get his career trajectory back to where it was before.”
An unrestricted free agent for the first time this offseason, Jones signed a one-year contract to return to the Bears in large part due to the chance to compete for his old starting job. Last year, rookie second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo had seemingly established himself at the position, but he suffered a knee injury in the playoff win over the Packers that is expected to sideline him for most or all of the 2026 season.
Selected by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2022 draft out of Southern Utah, Jones started all 17 games as a rookie. He remained the No. 1 left tackle the next two seasons, though injuries limited him to 11 contests in 2023 and 12 in 2024.
Despite still rebounding from a broken fibula that ended his 2024 campaign, Jones won a competition last summer with Trapilo, Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie for the starting left tackle position. Jones opened the first four games before being replaced by Trapilo in the second quarter of a road win over the Raiders.
A few weeks later, Jones sustained a knee injury in practice that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He did return to practice in advance of the playoffs but did not play in either of the Bears’ two postseason games.
“We started the season with Braxton,” Johnson said. “He would tell you he still didn’t feel 100% like himself from the prior year’s injury. What he put on tape those first four games, he didn’t feel like was very reflective of what he’s capable of. Looking back at it, we would agree with that. There’s more in there than what we saw. He ended up getting injured in practice during the season, so we lost him for a stretch as well and only got him back right there at the very end, and we didn’t feel like it was fair to force him into action in the playoffs right off the bench just like that.
“I’m excited about where he’s at right now. He came in when he signed the contract and he looked like a brand-new man as far as I’m concerned. This guy was beefed up. He was probably 310 pounds and he looked yoked up. He’s very determined to get his career trajectory back to where it was before.”
(5) Johnson “stood on the table” for the Bears to sign free agent receiver/return specialist Kalif Raymond.
Johnson, receivers coach/assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett all worked with Raymond with the Lions from 2022-24.
In five total seasons with Detroit, Raymond caught 171 passes for 2,185 yards and eight touchdowns. He also averaged 11.3 yards on 132 punt returns with three touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2022 and 2024. His 413 punt return yards were the most in the NFL in 2024 even though he only played in 12 games.
“Anytime you have a touchpoint with a player, whether it’s through free agency or the draft, it helps [that] you know what you’re going to get,” Johnson said. “Any time one of our coaches or personnel guys has a chance to be with another player, you feel pretty good. Absolutely, I stood on the table for Kalif. So did Randle El, so did J.T. Barrett. We know him really well. We know what he’s going to bring to the table. He’s a phenomenal teammate. It starts there. He’s going to elevate that locker room. He’s going to practice his tail off. That’s what he’s done his entire career.”
Raymond entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016 from Holy Cross but did not blossom until he joined the Lions in 2021. He spent his first few years in the league shuffling between the Broncos (2016), Jets (2017), Giants (2017), Titans (2018), Giants again (2018) and Titans again (2018-20).
“He’s one of those guys that has flown under the radar,” Johnson said. “He’s had to earn every little thing that he’s gotten, so his story really resonates with a lot of guys in that locker room. I’m excited to see what he’ll bring to the table for us. He’s going to get what he earns as well. It’s no different for him. I have high expectations for him because I’ve been with him before and I know what he’s capable of, but he’s got to come into training camp and prove that again and again. I’m excited about that addition.”
