LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Bears head coach Ben Johnson had declined to name a starting left tackle on several occasions, even as it became obvious that Braxton Jones was the guy.

Jones, after all, had exclusively worked with the first unit since a Week 2 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. That trend formed as other combatants had fallen into specific roles, with Ozzy Trapilo working at right tackle, Theo Benedet as Jones’ backup and Kiran Amegadjie cross training at guard.

Johnson finally acquiesced Tuesday, making the Jones appointment official. Jones will guard the left flank during Monday night’s regular-season opener versus the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field.

This wasn’t the obvious reveal the Bears had hoped for, with one player taking a stranglehold on the job with game and practice performance.

Jones’ game still has flaws, some pronounced by the fact he’s returning from significant ankle surgery. Keeping Jones in a starting position he has held the past three seasons has its benefits.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Johnson said in a Tuesday press conference. “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. So, there is a trust level in him knowing what to do. We think that’s he’s going to continue to ascend the more reps that he gets.”

Jones believes, that, too. The road back from a broken ankle has been long and trying, with his return to action bringing new challenges and setbacks finding old form.

Progress has not been linear, but it has been relatively steady when analyzed over the entire summer. Jones believes he has earned the starting spot with better and more consistent play of late. He knows far better is out there. There’s confidence to be gained from that, even as he continues to work through things from a physical standpoint.

“It’s honestly a muscle and brain thing, connecting the tissues and just making sure my leg is working at the same pace as everything else,” Jones said. “So, that’s all it is. Just kind of mirroring the two. Other than that, in terms of the mental aspect, I feel like when I’m playing, I’m just playing.”

There are a few boxes left to check in areas that should help improve Jones’ play overall.

“Just the power output,” Jones said. “I just want more power through the leg and just more efficiency. And sometimes, honestly, my left leg’s doing a little bit more right now than my right, but just making sure that’s the same and getting that going.”

Position coach Dan Roushar still has things for Jones to work on, to expedite his development and steady his play.

“I would just say just kind of getting back the simple things of setting correctly and just that confidence back of knowing what I do,” Jones said. “It had just been awhile since working some of those things. So, I think it has just taken repetitions of doing it over and over again. That’s the biggest thing. Just being critical of the small things, certain things that you didn’t see before or that might creep in now because of the injury or whatever. You’re trying to knock those things out and clean them up with reps, with repetition.”

Johnson’s formal announcement doesn’t end this left tackle conversation. The Bears will continue looking at the position, especially leading into a Week 5 bye. They could make a change then, or Jones’ play could inspire the confidence required to leave the lineup alone.

That means Jones’ play will remain under the microscope, as it has all summer. The fourth-year veteran is fine with that, and he insists it won’t change his process one bit.

“I’m going to be the same and try to make everything as smooth as possible and be the same with you guys,” Jones said. “I mean, obviously the first time doing this, (the media attention) it was not like this. But now the opening of this season and all the talk behind (the position battle), there is going to be a lot of media. But like I said, regardless of how many of you guys there is and how many there isn’t, I’m going to be the same and approach the game the same way.”

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