Offensive line play has been one of the biggest issues with this Chicago Bears team all season long, and the list of problems continues to get even longer. During Sunday's 34-17 loss against the Detroit Lions, Bears left tackle Braxton Jones suffered an ankle injury and was carted off the field.
It turns out that Jones fractured his ankle in the loss and will be out for the rest of the season while he recovers, but the injury isn't as bad as it could be according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
“Bears OT Braxton Jones, who was carted off yesterday, is believed to have suffered a fractured ankle, source says,” Rapoport reported on X, formerly Twitter. “He’s still undergoing tests, but as of now, it’s just the fibula, not the tibia, as well. Jones faces a four-month recovery, back long before training camp.”
Thankfully, the Bears just have two games left this season. However, it looks like rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is going to be running for his life even more than usual over the final two weeks of the season as one of the Bears' only consistent offensive linemen has gone down.
Caleb Williams showing flashes as rookie season nears end
Caleb Williams' rookie year hasn't been perfect in Chicago, but he has continued to get better and better throughout the season. Williams lost a fumble during yesterday's loss, but other than that he played a very clean game and showed why he was the top pick in the draft.
Williams was working from the pocket effectively on Sunday against a Lions defense that is extremely banged up, but has still been a very solid unit this season. He also sprinkled his usual creation out of structure to create some explosive plays.
On top of that, it seems like Williams is building some more chemistry with rookie receiver Rome Odunze and veteran Keenan Allen. He found Odunze over the middle for a couple of nice games and he and Allen were finally able to connect on a sideline shot for a long touchdown.
It hasn't been pretty at all times this year from Williams. Sometimes, he still holds the ball too long in the pocket, and his accuracy has been sporadic throughout the season. However, he has been handling the mental parts of the game — control at the line of scrimmage, handling protections, etc. — like a veteran so far, and he should be able to build on that in year two.
Obviously, Williams' trajectory going forward is dependent on the Bears nailing their impending head coach hire. The Bears haven't had a track record of nailing these types of things, but if they can pair Williams with a promising young head coach who is an innovator and a good play caller/play designer on the offensive side of the ball, the rookie has a chance to become one of the top quarterbacks in the league over the next couple of years.
