The Bears completed their third training camp practice Monday morning. The pads will come on for the first time this Friday, and one person excited about that is Bears guard Teven Jenkins. Jenkins spoke to the media after Monday’s practice and shared some disappointing news about potential a contract extension for himself and the team.
In June, Jenkins mentioned that his agents had contacted the Bears about a contract extension but hadn’t received a response. Today, Jenkins revealed that his side was told they would have to wait until after the Bears’ bye week in October to discuss the matter.
The NFL is a business.
At the end of the day, the NFL is a business, and a crucial aspect of success in business is being available. Teven Jenkins has shown the potential to be a Pro Bowler when he’s healthy and on the field, but his availability has been limited due to injuries since entering the league.
While these injuries aren’t directly his fault, they are part of the game. The Bears want to make sure Jenkins can make it through training camp and stay on the field this season before starting contract discussions. After all, paying big money would be a major investment for the Bears. This approach is understandable, even if it’s not ideal for Jenkins. Ultimately, it’s up to Teven to determine his future. If he can perform well and stay healthy, a lucrative contract should follow, likely from the Bears if everything goes well.
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@TGena – I hope so. I have not been impressed with what the Bears have done on the OL for years now.
@Tred —
Maybe the recent addition of assistant offensive line coach, Jason Houghtaling will provide the Bears with a start fresh at identifying the five best guys on the Bears team, for their offensive line — and holding each of them accountable — rather than practicing favoritism — whether it originates with Poles (my guess), Eberflus, Morgan (Getsy or now, Waldron).
Teven Jenkins seems impressed with receiving more detailed coaching — presumably from Houghtaling.
@TGena – I don’t disagree that it will be difficult to find a better guard than Jenkins. I just think the Bears might decide to roll with a healthier one.
I also wish we’d actually bring in a good, proven, NFL OL coach who actually has a track record of success developing the young players that are brought in for him to work with. Coaching matters.
Gena
Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then. Why are you still living for Pace? who drafted Jenkins . In 2021 your buddy Poles was still was KC. So what the hell are you trying to say??
You know, guys — Teven Jenkins was a Ryan Poles’ 2nd-round selection, in the 2021 NFL Draft (pick #39). Of the 79 Guards graded by PFF, last season, Teven was #14 with an overall grade of 72.6 (for reference, Nate Davis was PFF’s #58 guard (52.9 grade); Cody Whitehar was #73 (45.0). With the Chicago Bears: Nate Davis’ AYP is $10,000,000 Cody Whitehar’s AYP was $10,250,000. Only one NFL Guard drafted in 2022 or 2023 was ranked higher than Jenkins, last season: Tyler Smith (74.4) — the Cowboys’ 2022, 1st-round pick (#24). Oh yeah — and Ryan Poles is still… Read more »