LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- The narrative has shifted suddenly for Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins.
Four weeks ago, Jenkins was absent from the Bears’ second practice of training camp, which marked the start of a stretch in which he missed a week with an undisclosed injury. He soon landed in trade speculation, with NFL Media reporting the Bears were listening to offers. Jenkins then returned to practice in early August but was working at right tackle with Chicago’s third-team offensive line.
With the season opener looming for the Bears on Sept. 11, Jenkins is now in line to start at right guard for them.
"It has been kind of like a roller coaster,” Jenkins said. “A mix of emotions for me.”
At the start of training camp, it wasn’t clear if Jenkins would even make the team's 53-man roster. The Bears' new regime had prioritized changes on the offensive line, drafting four linemen in April and adding more depth to the group. Just before the Bears held their first practice of training camp, they signed veteran tackle Riley Reiff and guard Michael Schofield. The numbers didn’t seem to favor Jenkins – nor did the fact that he wasn’t practicing.
Jenkins was a second-round pick of the Bears’ previous regime in 2021. He still needed to win over this new coaching staff and front office. The seven-year veteran Schofield was in line to start at right guard early on, but then Jenkins began making an impression.
The Bears initially moved Jenkins to right guard with the second-team offense, then elevated him into the starting group.
“He’s a big, strong, smart player, and we’re excited to see what he can become,” Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan said.
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For Jenkins, playing guard suits one of the great strengths of his game.
“Physicality,” Jenkins said. “It’s like you have a dude right there, right now instead of all this space. At tackle, you have a lot of time to think about what’s going to happen and a lot of space to do whatever technique you’re thinking about. And at guard, it’s happening, like, a lot quicker. Like, really fast.”
Jenkins missed the majority of his rookie season in 2021 while recovering from back surgery in August. He started the final six games of the season, playing at left tackle.
Now, Jenkins is proving himself ready to start anew after many wondered just weeks ago if he had played his last snap with the organization.
“It's a lot about seizing an opportunity,” Jenkins said.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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