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Confidence or Necessity?
Ben Johnson finally took a leap of faith on Tuesday and named a starting left tackle. After months of deliberation and evaluating a rough four-man competition through minicamp and training camp, Johnson awarded the Week 1 job to Braxton Jones.
Jones beat out second-year Kiran Amegadjie, first-year Theo Benedet and rookie Ozzy Trapilo, who switched back to his native right side behind Darnell Wright a few weeks ago. However, every member of the competition remains on the roster.
Jones said Tuesday: “I think for myself more than anything, I continue to show up and just try and get better each and every week and that’s what I’ve done.”
Johnson on Jones: “He knows what he's doing. Is it perfect every play? No, it's not. But we did see the execution go up over the course of the last few weeks. There is a trust level in him knowing what to do. We think that he's going to continue to ascend the more reps that he gets.”
That doesn’t mean the decision is set in stone and the job is simply Jones’ for the year. Last week, Johnson alluded to a rolling competition at the spot, should it be necessary:
“I said it a few weeks ago — we feel good about the guys we have in that room. Someone’s gonna take the bull by the horns and is going to completely take over. But we’re not afraid to make a change if the performance isn’t where it needs to be.”
Competition is a good thing, and it’s a positive sign that Johnson won’t commit to a starter for the season before Week 1.
However, the competition for the starting job protecting Caleb Williams’ blindside wrapping up less than a week from the start of the regular season isn’t exactly ideal either.
Jones suffered a season-ending ankle fracture last December — and there are still legitimate questions about his strength and health. Yet, Jones, a 2022 fifth-round pick from Ryan Poles’ first draft class in Chicago, still was the best option available.
Naming Jones the starter on the Tuesday before the first game of the year feels more like a decision made out of necessity than one made with confidence.
Simply put, the staff gave every opportunity to the other three in the competition to win it — and nobody could.
It’s not a great look for Poles, who drafted Amegadjie in the third round in 2024, Trapilo in the second round last April and will likely be looking for another with a high-round pick in 2026.
O CAPTAIN MY FIVE CAPTAINS: Ben Johnson announced Tuesday that the team has voted on and selected its captains for the 2025 season.
Caleb Williams and Kevin Byard III will return as captains for the second straight year. Bears newcomers Grady Jarrett and Joe Thuney, as well as sixth-year Bear Cairo Santos, were also voted into captaincy by their peers.
The team will also have a sixth rolling captain each week.
Last year, the Bears named eight season-long captains, including Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet, Marcedes Lewis and DJ Moore.
TUCKED UP: The good news for the Cubs? Kyle Tucker’s bounce-back in San Francisco wasn’t a fluke. Tucker mashed an opposite-field three-run homer in the third inning against the Braves last night.
The bad news? Tucker left with calf tightness after the sixth inning. Craig Counsell said after Tuesday’s game that Tucker will not play in today’s game to give him two days (including Thursday’s off day) to heal and rest.
Shota Imanaga tossed six solid innings, allowing three runs on five hits for a quality start. Daniel Palencia let things get a little too interesting again in the ninth after surrendering two base hits, but the Cubs’ closer escaped with his 22nd save of the season.
The Brewers were off on Tuesday, so the Cubs picked up a half-game and sit five games out of first place with 23 games left.
Cubs 4, Braves 3
SLUGGIN’ SOX: The White Sox have officially won 10 more games than they did all of last season, picking up their 51st victory last night in Minneapolis.
Andrew Benintendi homered twice, Kyle Teel hit his fifth home run of the year and Lenyn Sosa hit a ball 425 feet for his team-leading 19th home run of 2025.
Benintendi added two singles to finish the night 4-for-5 at the plate for his second four-hit performance of the season.
Davis Martin dodged trouble all night, allowing six hits and three walks in six innings, but he muscled through while giving up just three runs for his ninth quality start of the season.
White Sox 12, Twins 3
Who Did We Miss?
The BEST Chicago athletes by jersey number 👀
How’d we do?👇
— #CHGO Sports (#@CHGO_Sports)
8:11 PM • Sep 2, 2025
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