The Los Angeles Chargers looked like one of the NFL's premier offenses through three games of the 2025 campaign. Then, as fans have unfortunately become accustomed to, they got bit by the injury bug, specifically on the edges of their offensive line.
For nearly the past month, Los Angeles has been without at least one of its starting left and right tackles, Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins. And that doesn't even include losing All-Pro Rashawn Slater to a ruptured patellar tendon before the year began. The situation has made life much harder for Chargers star quarterback Justin Herbert and Co.; now would be a good time for reinforcements to arrive.
Fortunately for Herbert and the Chargers, help could be on the way. Alt said he plans to suit up against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8, and Pipkins ostensibly has a shot to make his season debut. However, an ideal external option may have quietly emerged for L.A., courtesy of the Chicago Bears: Braxton Jones.
Bears OT Braxton Jones is a perfect Chargers trade target who may be available
Jones ranks 17th on ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen list of the "25 best possible trade candidates" ahead of the league's Nov. 4 deadline. The veteran blocker appears to be getting phased out of the picture in Chicago, though his track record and improved fitness are intriguing selling points.
"Rival teams agree that Jones is a sensible trade candidate after his benching in favor of Theo Benedet and his résumé as a multiyear starter in Chicago," Fowler wrote. " ... he is now healthy following an ankle issue that plagued him for much of 2025."
Between Jones' standing with the Bears and the Bolts' banged-up protection unit, both sides are compatible and have an incentive to strike a deal. With that in mind, Fowler and Bowen mentioned the Chargers among the potential fits for the 2022 fifth-round pick's services.
Whether it's adding insurance behind Alt and Pipkins or replacing the latter outright, Jones is much more valuable to the Chargers than the Bears. Chicago's first-year sideline general, Ben Johnson, has effectively told us he's moving forward with his guy, not a holdover from the previous coaching staff. Nevertheless, one person's trash is another's treasure, making Los Angeles a prime landing spot for all parties involved.
An "easy mover on the edges with the footspeed to redirect in pass protection," Jones' skill set can give the Bolts a meaningful boost. They're 27th in pass block win rate (54 percent), and their 49.4 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade is 28th ($). Being able to withstand and neutralize pressure is his greatest strength.