The offensive line for the Chicago Bears may have just taken a big hit as they prepare for the start of the regular season. On Sunday evening, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported Bears guard Teven Jenkins is dealing with a leg injury that could cause him to miss multiple weeks. Biggs reports the injury may keep Jenkins out up to six weeks, leading the third-year offensive lineman to miss time through September.
The #Bears have avoided serious injuries through training camp but now the team is bracing to be without LG Teven Jenkins when the regular season, sources say. He has a leg injury. https://t.co/wUZaPHhtcX
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) August 21, 2023
The Bears have been mum on most of their injuries up to this point with head coach Matt Eberflus saying they’re minor. Jenkins would be the first starter to have an issue that crept into the regular season. But the timing is interesting to say the least.
Jenkins started last week’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans and departed with no issues along with the rest of the offensive starters. He participated in joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts this past week and even spoke with the media on Thursday. In fact, Jenkins commented on his durability and how he believed he was feeling positive about his body going into the season.
“It hopefully shows signs of my wanted durability of myself for the rest of the season,” Jenkins said on Thursday via Adam Hoge of CHGO. “So as long as I’m staying out here right now through training camp, hopefully it shows positive signs for the rest of the year.”
Teven Jenkins, after Thursday’s practice against the Colts:
“It hopefully shows signs of my wanted durability of myself for the rest of the season. So as long as I’m staying out here right now through training camp, hopefully it shows positive signs for the rest of the year.”
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 21, 2023
Jenkins did not play in Saturday’s 24-17 preseason loss to the Colts, but neither did any of the offensive starters. The only training camp practices missed by Jenkins occurred when he left the field on August 2nd with a trainer and missed one full day. He was back by August 5th.
If Jenkins in fact misses time, the Bears would likely start either Ja’Tyre Carter or Alex Leatherwood at this point. They could also opt to bring in a veteran guard like Dalton Risner 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. The Bears could opt to place Jenkins on injured reserve when rosters are finalized, but he would need to be out for a minimum of four games. Otherwise, he would take up a roster spot until he was healthy.
The injury bug isn’t 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, but missed time late in the season after he suffered a scary neck injury. He’s played in 19 of a possible 34 games to start his career.
The Bears are counting on Jenkins as an anchor on the interior offensive line for the upcoming season. He moved to left guard this offseason following the signing of Nate Davis and has proved to be a solid option when healthy. Now with yet another injury, one has to wonder if he’s in the team’s long-term plans.