Tag: Teven Jenkins

How Bears LG Teven Jenkins changed his training regimen in effort to stay healthy

Bears left guard Teven Jenkins detailed how he altered his training regimen to help ensure he can make it through an entire season healthy.

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Bears left guard Teven Jenkins has struggled with injuries during his first two seasons in the NFL. In fact, he’s yet to play a full season.

Jenkins’ rookie season got off to a rough start when he needed surgery to fix a nagging back injury. He missed the first 12 games of his rookie season, and he didn’t start until Week 15. Last season, Jenkins missed a couple of games in the middle of the season due to a hip injury. Then Jenkins suffered a scary neck injury in Week 15 that limited him in the final three games.

Considering Jenkins has proven to be a dominant run blocker and one of the team’s best offensive linemen when healthy, the key is making sure he can make it through an entire season.

Jenkins detailed how he altered his training regimen to help with that.

“Basically lengthening and strengthening muscles and working on all the small muscles that you never think about,” Jenkins said. “It’s like those small anterior muscles around my neck, to build that up so nothing happens again, so I don’t get stingers, so I don’t get another lapse of whatever happened when we played the Eagles, so I don’t have anything happen to my back again. I’m doing those muscles around the spine that make it a lot stronger so those things don’t flare up.”

Jenkins has been working with the team’s trainers at Halas Hall, as well as independently.

“The strength coach here is really good,” he said.

It’s been an eventful first couple of seasons for Jenkins, and injuries certainly can take a mental toll. Jenkins credits his wife for being there to help him through it.

“Mentally, she’s the one that has been helping me out a lot,” he said. “I just go to her when I have any troubles and she reassures me anytime I have any problem.”

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Bears QB Justin Fields carrying himself like a ’10-year vet’

Justin Fields’ command and expectations have been a “wake up call” for Teven Jenkins and how he needs to push himself to get on his level.

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Bears quarterback Justin Fields is entering a pivotal third season, where the expectation is he’ll take a step forward in the passing game and prove that Chicago made the right decision to stick with him rather than draft a quarterback.

For the first time since college, Fields is in the same system for the second consecutive season, which has helped him refine the specifics of the offense and his game. But Fields has also taken a step forward as a leader this spring.

Bears left guard Teven Jenkins said Fields is carrying himself like a “10-year vet,” which is pushing his teammates to be on his level.

“Seeing how he commands that huddle and what he wants to see out of all of us,” Jenkins said, “it’s a wake-up call for me that I need to push myself to be on his level because he’s demanding a certain effort out of all of us.”

New right guard Nate Davis, who has only practiced with Fields for two weeks now, already recognizes Fields’ command and leadership and the impact it has on the rest of the offense.

“Just be able to get in the huddle and say, ‘This is what we gotta do. Let’s go ahead and do that,’ kind of relaxes everybody else,” Davis said. “Knowing, ‘OK, we’ve got somebody in charge. He’s been there, he’s done that.’ He’s going to do great things.”

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Bears OL Teven Jenkins feels ‘more like a guard now’

Knowing where he’ll be playing ahead of time has helped Bears OL Teven Jenkins in his switch to left guard.

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When the Chicago Bears signed right guard Nate Davis in free agency, Teven Jenkins got a call from offensive line coach Chris Morgan five minutes later informing him he’d be moving from right guard to left guard.

This isn’t the first position change for Jenkins in his three years with the Bears, where he saw work at left and right tackle before moving to right guard last season. Now, he’ll hold down the left side of the line with left tackle Braxton Jones.

“I feel more like a guard now,” Jenkins said, while noting he could be an emergency tackle, if needed.

Last offseason, Jenkins was thrust into his right guard role during preseason, and he was able to catch on quickly. In fact, he proved himself to be quite productive at the position.

But knowing where he’ll be playing ahead of time has helped Jenkins in the switch to left guard.

“It lets me actually get good at my craft,” Jenkins said. “It feels good because I can actually work on one thing instead of trying to flip flop sides and make sure I have equal work on both sides.”

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Bears players poised for comeback season in 2023

Which Chicago player is poised for a comeback year in 2023? Our Bears Wire staff make their picks.

The Chicago Bears wrapped the 2022 season with a 3-14 record and a 10-game losing streak. Despite finishing with the worst record in the league, there’s plenty of optimism surrounding the team heading into 2023.

While there are plenty of new faces who should help contribute this season, there are some returning veterans who are rehabbing from injury or looking to bounce back after a rough 2022 campaign.

With that in mind, our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on which player is poised for a comeback year in 2023.

Worst Bears draft pick from each year since 2000

We look back at the worst Bears draft pick from each year since the turn of the century.

The 2023 NFL draft will be here before we know it and it’s once again another golden opportunity for the Chicago Bears to improve their team with young talent. The Bears hold four selections in the top 64 picks, including the No. 9 overall pick, giving them a shot to select premier players across multiple positions.

As is the case every year, the NFL draft is an inexact science and not every pick is going to pan out. The Bears have certainly had their fair share of misses over the years.

We already looked at the best player from each draft, now it’s time to review the worst player from each Bears draft class since 2000.

Bears OL Teven Jenkins says he’s playing left guard in 2023

Teven Jenkins told Twitter he’s moving to left guard for the 2023 season.

It sounds like Teven Jenkins will be playing at a new spot on the offensive line when the Chicago Bears begin the 2023 season. Just ask him yourself.

On Sunday, the third-year offensive lineman was asked on Twitter where he was going to play this upcoming season. Jenkins responded with a link to a tweet by Bryson Stricker saying he would be moving to the left side of the line.

Stricker tweeted the move following the Bears’ signing of former Tennessee Titans guard Nate Davis last month during free agency.

Plans can always change and the Bears haven’t been shy about tinkering with their offensive line throughout the offseason since general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus were hired. But if the move takes place, it will be Jenkins’ third position change since coming into the league in 2021.

Jenkins was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the expectation of playing left tackle under former general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy. Injuries limited him to just a few games late in the year with up-and-down results. When the new regime took over last year, they tried him at right tackle before settling at right guard in training camp to begin the season.

Right guard appeared to be the best landing spot for Jenkins as he excelled at the position. He allowed just two sacks according to Pro Football Focus and was consistently effective as a run blocker. Injuries ended his season prematurely and now he will begin a new year at yet another new position. Davis, meanwhile, will start at right guard, where he’s played every year since coming into the league back in 2019.

Jenkins has shown the versatility to play wherever he’s needed and has the attitude to back it up. “I’ll play wherever they need me,” Jenkins told reporters last spring. “Get in where you fit in.” He’ll have his shot to fit in at left guard, which has been occupied by Cody Whitehair for the past few seasons.

This means Whitehair could move to center, which Poles suggested a few weeks ago in a press conference, or perhaps the two will battle it out to see who comes out on top at the position. Regardless, it will be another position for Jenkins to learn this offseason.

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What the Bears starting offensive line looks like ahead of NFL draft

The Bears’ offensive line remains a work in progress, but here’s a look at what the starting lineup would look like before the NFL draft.

There’s been an emphasis this offseason for the Bears to build around quarterback Justin Fields, who’s entering a pivotal third season. While there’s no denying the skill position groups are set — including the new addition of DJ Moore — the offensive line remains a focal point.

Fields was sacked a league-high 55 times in 15 games last season. And considering the offensive line’s struggles in pass protection were well-documented, it’s surprising the Bears made just one move in free agency — signing guard Nate Davis.

‘‘We’re solidifying the offensive line, and we’re getting the skill sets around him that we need to move the ball down the field and score points,’’ said coach Matt Eberflus, via the Sun-Times. ‘‘And we’re excited about where that’s going.’’

The offensive line remains a work in progress, but there are some pieces already in place (and others who will be moved). Here’s how the starting offensive line looks right now: Braxton Jones (LT), Nate Davis (LG), Cody Whitehair (C), Teven Jenkins (RG), Larry Borom (RT).

With the addition of Davis, GM Ryan Poles previously mentioned Whitehair making a move to center (given he has 4,000 snaps at the position). Jenkins thrived at right guard last season, so it makes sense to keep him there.

The tackle spots are what stand out. It’s not a surprise that Jones is currently penciled in at left tackle, but Eberflus noted they could move him to the right side if they upgrade at left tackle.

‘‘That’s all open right now,’’ Eberflus said. ‘‘We have to go through the draft and see what we do there.’’

The one glaring hole on the offensive line is right tackle, where Borom is currently the placeholder. But that should change after they make moves in the NFL draft.

Even after trading out of the No. 1 pick, Chicago is in a prime position to select a top offensive tackle, including Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr., Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Georgia’s Broderick Jones.

‘‘Right now, to improve our team, I think we’ve got to look to the draft,’’ Poles said.

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Grading the Bears’ signing of G Nate Davis

The Bears upgraded the guard position with Nate Davis, but where will he play? Here’s our initial grade of the signing.

Defense may have stolen the headlines during the Chicago Bears’ first day of the free agent negotiating window, but they beefed up their offensive line as well. The Bears signed former Tennessee Titans guard Nate Davis to a multi-year deal on Monday afternoon, putting him in line to start at one of the guard positions on the line.

Davis was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and worked his way towards becoming the Titans starting right guard. After Week 4, Davis was entrenched as the right guard and played a significant role as a run blocker in running back Derrick Henry’s success over the last few seasons.

The arrival of Davis can certainly be viewed as an upgrade, but what does it mean for the other interior linemen? Here is our initial grade of the signing.

15 Most Impactful Bears of 2022: Counting down the biggest contributors

We counted down the 15 Most Impactful Bears from the 2022 season. See our roundup here:

The Chicago Bears wrapped their 2022 season, where they finished 3-14 and lost their final 10 games of the year. But the future is bright heading into this 2023 offseason, as GM Ryan Poles has the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, a boatload of salary cap space and a franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.

Here at Bears Wire, we counted down our 15 Most Impactful Bears for the 2022 season. We recapped their 2022 season and looked ahead to how they factor into 2023.

From impact rookies to coaches to veterans taking a step forward, we’ve rounded up our most impactful contributors from the 2022 season.

7 Bears players who stepped up in 2022

Even in a disappointing 3-14 season, there were still some Bears players who impressed in 2022.

The Chicago Bears finished with the worst record in the NFL at 3-14, which included losing their final 10 games of the year.

And yet, there’s optimism about the future of this team heading into an important 2023 offseason. That’s because Chicago has north of $110 million in salary cap space, the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.

The last game the Bears won in 2022 was way back in Week 7, when they shocked the Patriots with a 33-14 win on Monday Night Football. Despite only mounting three wins on the season, seven of Chicago’s losses were by one score.

But even in a disappointing season, there were some players that really shined, including several rookies. Here are seven players that stepped up their game.