The Chicago Bears’ 2023 season has been filled with highs and lows, but one glaring issue has overshadowed everything: the offensive line. The recent injuries to Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins have only served to highlight what many critics have already been saying — the Bears’ biggest need is not a quarterback or a wide receiver, but a complete overhaul of their offensive line. While the Bears have made strides in rebuilding, these injuries bring into sharp focus just how fragile their foundation is up front, and how badly they need to address this position in both the immediate and long-term future.
The Injury Crisis: A Wake-Up Call
Braxton Jones, a promising left tackle, has had his fair share of ups and downs, but his recent injury is a harsh reminder that the Bears are one injury away from a complete disaster on the offensive line. Jones was expected to be one of the mainstays of the offensive front, but his absence exposes the lack of depth and stability. The same can be said for Teven Jenkins, who has struggled with injuries throughout his career. While Jenkins has shown flashes of brilliance when healthy, his recurring injuries paint a concerning picture. When both Jones and Jenkins are sidelined, it creates a gaping hole in the offensive line, one that even a high-profile quarterback like Justin Fields can’t hope to overcome.
What’s particularly troubling is that this is not just a matter of bad luck; it’s indicative of a deeper issue within the Bears’ roster construction. The Bears, like many teams, have invested heavily in the offensive line in recent years, yet they remain plagued by injuries and inconsistency. This suggests that perhaps their approach to building the offensive line has been flawed, and it begs the question: Are the Bears truly addressing their biggest need with the right strategy?
The Offensive Line Conundrum
Let’s face it: the Bears have had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL for years. While there have been attempts to improve this area, the results have been less than impressive. The struggles of the offensive line affect everything — from the development of their young quarterback to the team’s ability to establish a consistent running game. Fields, despite his immense talent, is often running for his life because of the porous protection in front of him. He’s been sacked at an alarming rate, and it’s clear that no quarterback, no matter how gifted, can succeed under such circumstances.
While the Bears have made some positive moves — drafting players like Jones and Jenkins — the injuries to both players serve as a reminder that this is a long-term project that requires more than just one or two building blocks. They need a full-fledged overhaul. This offensive line needs not only more depth but also better durability and consistency.
Depth: The Hidden Issue
The problem for the Bears is not just the lack of talent in the starting lineup, but the abysmal depth behind it. If injuries to Jones and Jenkins have shown us anything, it’s that the Bears have no reliable backups who can step in and play at a starter’s level. This is a major issue when it comes to building a championship-caliber team. Injuries are inevitable in the NFL, and no team can afford to have its entire offense collapse when one or two players go down. The Bears’ inability to plug the holes left by injuries has turned what could have been a promising season into yet another wasted opportunity.
A solid offensive line is the foundation of any successful offense. Without it, the Bears can’t even begin to build around Fields, and the offense will continue to sputter. The injuries to Jones and Jenkins have merely illuminated the core problem: the Bears’ inability to establish a consistently effective offensive line.
Rebuilding the Offensive Line
For the Bears to move forward, they need to make the offensive line their absolute top priority. This cannot be a matter of patching up the position with low-cost veterans or hoping that their current investments will magically come together. The Bears need to take bold steps. They should look to the upcoming draft, where there are several talented offensive linemen, and perhaps even pursue aggressive trades to bring in proven starters.
More importantly, the Bears need to change their approach to building this unit. Injuries are a part of the game, but the Bears need to construct an offensive line that can withstand them. This means acquiring depth that’s not just depth in name, but players who are capable of stepping in and performing at a high level. It’s also critical that the Bears invest in strength and conditioning programs that will help their linemen avoid the kinds of injuries that have plagued Jones and Jenkins.
Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for the Bears’ Front Office
The injuries to Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins have underscored what many fans and analysts have been saying for years: The Chicago Bears’ biggest need is not a flashy new quarterback, but a complete rebuild of the offensive line. While the Bears have made some progress, the lack of depth, consistency, and durability in this area is a glaring weakness that cannot be ignored any longer. Until the Bears address this issue head-on, no amount of offensive skill players will be able to save them from mediocrity.
The future of Justin Fields, and the success of this franchise, depends on the Bears front office finally acknowledging the elephant in the room: a dominant, reliable offensive line is the key to success. If they fail to act now, the Bears may continue to be trapped in the cycle of promising seasons marred by offensive line dysfunction. It’s time for the Bears to make this their top priority, or risk wasting yet another season.