Tag: Teven Jenkins

5 biggest storylines in the Bears’ preseason finale vs. Bills

The Bears will take on the Bills in their final game of the preseason. Here’s what we’ll be watching for.

After many long months of waiting, the preseason is nearly over, and the regular season is almost here.

Before the Chicago Bears bid farewell to the preseason, the coaching staff has decided to play all healthy starters to give the team a true dress rehearsal for what will be an eventful season. The Bears will face a tough opponent in the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, a team that was one of the NFL’s best last season.

Saturday’s game is bound to be the most exciting of the preseason, and that means there are several important aspects of the game to keep an eye out for. How will a disheveled offensive line do against a fierce Bills defensive front? Can Chicago’s improved defense limit an explosive Bills offense? Will rookie phenom Tyson Bagent have another great game and lock himself in as Justin Fields’ backup?

Let’s take a look at the five biggest storylines heading into the Bears’ final game of the preseason.

State of the Bears offensive line: Who’s injured, who’s healthy ahead of preseason finale

We’re taking a look at the current state of the Bears’ offensive line with three weeks until the start of the regular season.

The Chicago Bears offensive line will be a key factor in the success of quarterback Justin Fields in a pivotal third season.

General manager Ryan Poles spent the offseason overhauling the line with the key additions of Nate Davis and rookie Darnell Wright, and there was some shifting along the offensive line.

Unfortunately, injuries have started to take its toll on Chicago’s offensive line — yet again — where all but one starter has dealt with an injury at some point this summer. And there are a couple currently working through an injury with the regular season just around the corner.

Let’s take a look at the current state of the Bears’ offensive line heading into the preseason finale:

Grading every Bears offensive position’s performance in the preseason

As the Bears prepare to wrap up their preseason, we graded every offensive position group through the first two games.

The last couple of weeks have been a wild ride for the Chicago Bears and their fans. The team got off to a blazing hot start in Week 1 of the preseason, with the offense generating multiple scoring drives and the defense imposing their will upon the Tennessee Titans.

The Bears failed to replicate their dominance against the Indianapolis Colts the following week, falling flat at several positions. Throw in some interesting choices for who did and didn’t play, odd injuries that no one saw coming and a Herculean effort from a backup rookie quarterback, it’s safe to say the preseason has been anything but dull.

With only one exhibition game left against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, it’s a good time to take a step back from the storylines and narratives that pervade our social media feeds and discuss each position.

We will be grading position groups with a letter grade, with “A” being the best and “F” being the worst. Bear in mind, we are ranking the performance of each position based on their overall play in the preseason; what that position did on the field over the last two preseason games is the only thing being considered.

For example, DJ Moore, Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney are all talented receivers, but because one of those three players didn’t play, it will hurt the position’s overall grade.

Now that the rules are sorted, let’s analyze and grade every offensive position’s performance in the preseason.

Bears offensive line could factor into whether Justin Fields plays in preseason finale

The Bears offensive line is banged up, which could factor into whether or not Justin Fields plays against the Bills.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, where the biggest question is whether starters will see the field after resting last week.

Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Tuesday that he hasn’t decided who will play in Saturday’s preseason finale at Soldier Field.

“That will be evaluated throughout the course of the week,” Eberflus said. “We’re looking at practice, we’re looking at each individual’s health, we’re looking at each unit’s health, we’re looking at everything from all those factors that factor into it, and we’ll decide here in a couple days when we have our personnel meeting to discuss personnel—who is going to play and how much and when for the game.”

One of the factors that could determine whether Fields plays is the status of the offensive line. The Bears have been ravaged by injuries, especially along the offensive line. Teven Jenkins is out for the foreseeable future, and there have been several starters or key reserves sidelined.

Now, rookie right tackle Darnell Wright is dealing with an apparent ankle injury. With the onus on protecting Fields, that’s not an ideal situation in a meaningless preseason game.

“There’s no question that will be looked at,” Eberflus said. “You’ve always got to look at the combinations and the health of the offensive linemen when you’re talking about the quarterback. That will all be looked at and we’ll see where it is.”

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Chicago Bears stock exchange: Who’s up, who’s down after preseason Week 2?

With just a week to go before roster cutdowns, here are the Bears players whose stock is rising and falling.

Chicago Bears training camp 2023 has come and gone, and there’s only one more week to go in the preseason. In other words, meaningful football isn’t far away. The Bears have one more week to determine who deserves a spot on the initial 53-man roster, but after two preseason games, many players have already made their case.

Some have surprised with impressive performances, while others are falling behind. It doesn’t matter if they’re a projected starter or a reserve; everyone is looking to put their best foot forward to begin the season on a positive note. Going into the final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills this Saturday, here are the players whose stock is rising and falling in the debut of the Chicago Bears stock exchange.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus provides update on injured Teven Jenkins

Bears LG Teven Jenkins is officially week-to-week as he deals with calf injuries.

The Chicago Bears are expected to be without starting left guard Teven Jenkins for a significant period of time — into the first month of the regular season — as he reportedly deals with calf strains in both legs.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus addressed Jenkins’ status following Tuesday’s practice. He said Jenkins is “dealing with an injury” that is “a week-to-week issue. It is bigger than a day-to-day.”

Eberflus said Jenkins reported discomfort after joint practices with the Colts last week.

“In between that time. It was right in that time,” Eberflus said. “We’re not going to disclose where or when or what or all that stuff because, you know, we don’t have to do that until Sept. 6. He’s a week-to-week guy and that’s where he is right now.”

With Jenkins not practicing, we caught a glimpse of what the Bears’ starting offensive line could look like in his absence. Cody Whitehair kicked back to left guard while Lucas Patrick stepped in at center.

With that said, Patrick is in ramp-up mode as he returns from injury, which is why second-year player Doug Kramer saw “very prominent” reps at center during Tuesday’s practice.

As for Whitehair, he is “day-to-day” with a hand injury that Eberflus doesn’t believe is significant.

“His hand is not a big issue but we’ll see where it goes,” Eberflus said.

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What the Bears offensive line looked like without Teven Jenkins

Here’s what the Bears’ starting offensive line looked like during Monday’s practice with Teven Jenkins sidelined.

It sounds like the Chicago Bears will be without left guard Teven Jenkins for a significant period as he deals with what Adam Schefter describes as a calf strain in both legs.

Monday’s practice provided a glimpse of what the Bears’ offensive line might look like heading into the regular season without Jenkins. Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick were back at practice, and they both factored into the equation.

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Whitehair shifted from center to left guard while Patrick stepped in at center. It’s a combination that doesn’t come as a surprise. Whitehair started at left guard last season while Patrick was brought in last offseason to serve as center, although he only saw a few snaps before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 7.

With Jenkins healthy, Patrick is the primary reserve along the interior of the offensive line. The thought was Patrick would step in for Jenkins at left guard, which would allow Whitehair to remain at center, giving quarterback Justin Fields some continuity. But it sounds like Whitehair and Patrick are going back to their roots.

We’ll see if the Bears try out another offensive line combination. But it sounds like this could be the starting offensive line heading into the regular season, without Jenkins.

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Bear Necessities: Who replaces Teven Jenkins at left guard?

Teven Jenkins is expected to be sidelined when the Bears’ season starts. Who replaces him? We recap that with Monday’s headlines.

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What’s the latest with the Chicago Bears?

With news that left guard Teven Jenkins could be sidelined for several weeks with a leg injury, the Bears need to find his replacement. Whether that’s someone currently on the roster, a veteran free agent or a waiver wire pickup.

Here’s a look at the most recent and relevant Bears stories for the morning of Aug. 22.

Bears G Teven Jenkins reportedly has calf strains in both legs

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting Jenkins suffered injuries in both his legs last week.

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.

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.

6 potential replacements for injured Bears LG Teven Jenkins

With Teven Jenkins expected to miss time in the first month of the regular season, here are some potential replacements for the Bears at LG.

The Chicago Bears have been able to avoid major injuries this summer, but that luck has finally run out with left guard Teven Jenkins.

According to Brad Biggs, the Bears are preparing to be without Jenkins in the first month of the regular season. Jenkins is expected to miss six weeks, per Biggs, which means he would probably miss at least three games.

It’s a devastating blow for an offensive line that hasn’t been able to develop continuity with Nate Davis also missing time, and with Cody Whitehair now out. But Jenkins is also arguably the team’s best offensive lineman. Unfortunately, Jenkins just can’t stay healthy. He’s yet to play an entire season since being drafted in 2021.

The good news is it sounds like Jenkins will only miss three games, which is better than the alternative. That could give us a look at some younger players on the roster, who could get an opportunity in his place.

Here are some potential replacements for Jenkins if he misses time into the regular season.