There were several plays during the Bears’ 17-9 loss to the Vikings last Monday night that garnered plenty of attention throughout and after the game, including some questionable penalties.
One of those that got a lot of attention was rookie offensive tackle Teven Jenkins’ personal foul in the second half. Jenkins was defending his quarterback Justin Fields, who took a shot out of bounds on a play, and Jenkins got in the defensive line’s face to let him know that it wasn’t going to fly. A Vikings defender threw a punch his way, and when Jenkins retaliated with a swing of his own, he was called for the personal foul, which cost the Bears 15 yards.
Immediately after, veteran offensive tackle Germain Ifedi shoved Jenkins and was chastising him for responding the way he did. When Jenkins met with the media Thursday, he doubled down on his reaction to Jenkins.
“It hurts you and it hurts the team,” Ifedi told reporters. “We just can’t have that in any situation because 15 yards, you can’t get that back. …He’s a good kid. We’re a close-knit group so we can hold each other accountable.”
Germain Ifedi on his message to Teven Jenkins after the personal foul: "It hurts you and it hurts the team. We just can’t have that in any situation because 15 yards, you can’t get that back. … He’s a good kid. We’re a close-knit group so we can hold each other accountable."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) December 23, 2021
After the game, Fields said he appreciated Jenkins coming to his defense. But he also instructed his fellow rookie to make sure he keeps it between the whistles so as to not cost his team.
While Ifedi wasn’t a fan of Jenkins’ response, the same couldn’t be said for most Bears fans, who praised Jenkins for sticking up for Fields, who has taken a beating this season, when no other offensive lineman has.
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