While the Chicago Bears rotated offensive linemen during regular-season games early last season in search of the right combination, the team settled on a starting five early this spring.
That lineup could require an adjustment when their Week 1 meeting with the Green Bay Packers arrives on Sept. 10 at Soldier Field. Multiple sources told the Tribune that left guard Teven Jenkins could miss time in the first month with a leg injury.
The Bears have been particularly guarded with injury information and did not reveal why Jenkins briefly missed time earlier in training camp. He did not play in Saturday’s 24-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, but coach Matt Eberflus elected to rest nearly all of his first-team players.
Injuries have marred Jenkins’ first two seasons and it’s possible the latest issue could keep him out six weeks. Jenkins missed the start of his rookie season in 2021 after undergoing back surgery. He was sidelined at the start of training camp last summer and then missed two games in November with a hip injury. He played only 11 snaps in the final four games — missing two of them completely — after suffering stingers.
A second-round NFL draft pick in 2021, Jenkins has appeared in 19 games and made 13 starts (11 last year) but has logged 100% of the snaps in only six games making durability a legitimate question as he prepares for the third season of his professional career. When he’s been healthy, he’s been a strong performer and he settled in quickly at right guard last season, appearing to be a potential building block for the organization.
The Bears shifted Jenkins to left guard from the right side after signing Nate Davis to a $30 million, three-year contract in free agency. Davis has missed the majority of training camp with an undisclosed injury but the team has been ramping him back up for action in the last week.
With three weeks until the start of the regular season, Jenkins has some time but the sources believe this injury will stretch into next month. If the injury is going to linger, the Bears could consider placing Jenkins on injured reserve, although that move would not be made until after the initial 53-man roster is established at the end of the month. Players on IR must remain sidelined for a minimum of four games before returning to the active roster.
While the Bears have had some key players — like Davis, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, wide receiver Chase Claypool and safety Jaquan Brisker — miss practice time, the team has been adamant none of the injuries were serious. Eberflus is next scheduled to chat with media members after Tuesday’s practice. The Bears will return to practice Monday afternoon at Halas Hall after being off Sunday.
Ja’Tyre Carter, a seventh-round draft pick last year, has gotten ample time with the starting unit in training camp, especially with Davis out for an extended period. Carter started in place of Davis in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans. Alex Leatherwood, a former first-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders claimed by the Bears off waivers last September, has also gotten a lot of work on the interior in practice.
Jenkins has talked at length about the work he’s done, starting early in the offseason, to help him be more durable this season. He participated in joint practices with the Colts on Wednesday and Thursday, so the leg injury is recent. It could lead Eberflus and the offensive coaching staff to consider a change at least to open the regular season.