The injury news surrounding Chicago Bears guard Teven Jenkins is getting more bizarre by the day. On Sunday evening, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported Jenkins could be sidelined up to six weeks with a leg injury. Now it seems that injury is in both of his legs.
Appearing on ESPN’s NFL Live on Monday afternoon, Adam Schefter reported Jenkins has a calf strain in not one, but both of his legs. In a clip shared by Matt Clapp of Awful Announcing, Schefter indicates the injury (or injuries) occurred last week. “I’ve never heard of that before but that’s what was told to me,” Schefter said while giving his report.
Adam Schefter reports that Teven Jenkins is dealing with a strained calf x2: both legs. pic.twitter.com/k0ywOM1d3z
— Matt Clapp (@DaBearNecess) August 21, 2023
Jenkins participated in joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts last week and spoke to the media following Thursday’s session. There was no indication that there was any injury going on with him. The third-year offensive lineman sat out of Saturday’s 24-17 preseason loss along with the rest of the starting offense.
Injuries are nothing new for Jenkins, unfortunately. After former general manager Ryan Pace traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select him in the second round as the team’s future left tackle, Jenkins missed 11 games his rookie year with a back injury. In 2022 after moving to right guard, he was in and out of the lineup with various ailments. He missed time late in the season after he suffered a scary neck injury. In total, Jenkins has played in 19 of a possible 34 games to start his career.
With Jenkins likely missing time, Ja’Tyre Carter or Alex Leatherwood would see increased reps in his absence. They could also opt to bring in a veteran free agent or see who becomes available on the waiver wire when rosters are trimmed in a couple weeks. Regardless, they will need to hone in on a backup plan to start the season.
Head coach Matt Eberflus is expected to meet the media on Tuesday and will likely have an update regarding Jenkins’ status.