The Chicago Bears put a lot of money and effort into improving the offensive line this season, but some misfortunes are impossible to guard against.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday, August 20, that offensive guard Teven Jenkins suffered a leg injury that is likely to cost him some regular season time and could ultimately result in up to six weeks on the sideline.
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 played in just six games during his rookie campaign in 2021, earning two starts. He followed that up with 13 appearances and 11 starts last season, per Pro Football Reference.
Bears’ Teven Jenkins Among NFL’s Elite Guards in 2022
GettyOffensive guard Teven Jenkins (left) of the Chicago Bears blocks defensive end George Karlaftis (right) of the Kansas City Chiefs during an NFL preseason game in August 2022.
Losing Jenkins for any length of time is a monumental blow to the Bears’ revamped offensive line, as he was one of the elite offensive guards in the NFL last season.
Jenkins was a high-level run blocker and an adequate pass blocker, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), finishing the year with an overall PFF player grade of 80.7. That advanced metrics score was good enough to earn him the billing of the league’s third-best guard out of 77 players who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position.
The Bears moved Jenkins over to the left side of the offensive line this summer, standing him up alongside second-year left tackle Braxton Jones. The team drafted Darnell Wright No. 10 overall to play right tackle and signed Nate Davis in free agency to play right guard. Cody Whitehair is slotted in as the starting center, per the Bears’ official website.
Bears Thin on Options to Replace Teven Jenkins
GettyOffensive guard Teven Jenkins of the Chicago Bears readies to block during an NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Behind Jenkins on the depth chart is Alex Leatherwood, a former first-round pick out of Alabama who started all 17 games as a rookie with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
However, Leatherwood played just 32 offensive snaps for the Bears across four appearances last year after battling mononucleosis, an illness that relegated him to the reserve/non-football illness list for six weeks.
One potential option for Chicago is free agent Dalton Risner. Risner has played his entire four-year NFL career as a member of the Denver Broncos, appearing in and starting 62 of a possible 66 regular season games.
Signing Risner could theoretically help the Bears in two ways. First, it adds a reliable talent to an offensive line that can use more depth even when Jenkins returns. Second, it keeps a quality player out of the hands of the NFC North Division rival Minnesota Vikings, who hosted a visit with Risner on August 1 and presumably have at least some interest in signing him.
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Elite Bears Lineman May Miss 6 Weeks With Leg Injury: Report