Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus met with reporters Wednesday and provided some shockingly bad news: left tackle Braxton Jones is headed to injured reserve with a neck injury.
#Bears HC Matt Eberflus says that LT Braxton Jones is being placed on injured reserve with neck injury. Will miss a minimum of four games. Flus says S Eddie Jackson and WR Darnell Mooney are "positive."
— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) September 20, 2023
Jones didn't get injured during Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making this news a devastating blow to the offensive line.
Jones will miss a minimum of four games while he recovers. Eberflus didn't rule out the possibility the injury could be season-ending.
Jones is the fourth-highest-graded player on the Bears' offense with a minimum of 100 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Eberflus mentioned Larry Borom and Ja'Tyre Carter as possible replacements at left tackle while Jones recovers.
Braxton Jones joined the Chicago Bears as a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He started all 17 games for the Bears as a rookie.