Bears’ O-Line Issues Continue as Top Starter Misses Practice With Injury

Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.

Coming off a rough offensive line performance against the Houston Texans, the Chicago Bears did not have one of their top starters — left guard Teven Jenkins — on the practice field to begin Week 3’s preparation for the Indianapolis Colts.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters ahead of September 18’s first practice of the week that Jenkins would not be available for the day after he sustained a deep thigh bruise in their 19-13 loss to the Texans on Sunday Night Football in Week 2. His status for the remainder of the week and Sunday’s game against the Colts remains uncertain.

“Teven Jenkins had a deep thigh bruise during the game, so he’s not going to practice today to get strength back into that and get that thing healed up,” Eberflus said Wednesday.

Eberflus did not seem to express much concern about Jenkins’ status, but the Bears have spoken similarly about veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, who did not play in Week 2’s loss with a heel injury and remained sidelined during Wednesday’s practice. In other words, until Jenkins is cleared in the injury report, his status bears monitoring.

The Bears also did not have defensive tackle Zacch Pickens — who injured his groin in the third quarter against the Texans — available at Wednesday’s first practice.

Teven Jenkins Has History of Injury Issues for Bears

The Bears must hope that Jenkins’ thigh bruise is something that will not affect his availability for Week 3’s game against the Colts, but it is worrisome for a player who has encountered quite a bit of injury trouble over his first three seasons in the NFL.

Jenkins — a 2021 second-round pick — missed the majority of his rookie season after he underwent back surgery. He returned in 2022 and moved from offensive tackle to right guard, but he still missed four games in the second half of the season due to injuries. He then missed the first four games of the 2023 season with a calf injury, adding one more absence due to a concussion later in the season.

All in all, Jenkins’ track record over his first three seasons is not great, especially for a player who is seeking a new contract before hitting 2025 free agency in the offseason.

Now, Jenkins did tell reporters at the beginning of 2024 training camp that he invested “almost double” as much money into his body in hopes of minimizing his injury issues. Whether that will help him recover from his latest injury faster is uncertain, though.

If Jenkins cannot play, the Bears would most likely tab veteran Matt Pryor to start in his place at left guard against the Colts. Eberflus confirmed Wednesday he would fill in for Jenkins at the position in practice while the fourth-year guard heals his thigh. Pryor has played seven total offensive snaps in the Bears’ first two games of the season.

Bears Not Considering O-Line Changes for Week 3

To say the Bears’ O-line struggled against the Texans would be an understatement.

According to Next Gen Stats, the Texans recorded 23 total pressures and seven sacks against rookie quarterback Caleb Williams with the interior of Chicago’s line looking especially porous. Nate Davis, once again, looked incapable of playing a complete game at a high level, but first-round right tackle Darnell Wright, center Coleman Shelton and Jenkins also experienced their fair share of troubles against Houston’s defensive front.

Despite the Bears’ obvious issues, though, Eberflus said the team has no plans to shake up its offensive line as it prepares for its next game against the Colts on the road.

“I would say that right now, no,” Eberflus said Wednesday when asked whether Chicago would make any offensive line changes. “We’re looking for continuity and consistency and communication and getting better. That’s what we’re focused on. It’s fundamentals, it’s basics and it’s important we get that down as a group.”

To be fair, the Bears do not have many alternative alignments to test. Ryan Bates could have offered them another look at either center or right guard, but he landed on injured reserve in Week 2 and will not be eligible to return until Week 6 at the earliest. They also have third-round rookie Kiran Amegadjie to consider kicking inside from tackle to guard, but he, too, is working back from a quad injury leftover from his college career.

The Bears could potentially consider replacing Davis with Pryor, but Jenkins’ injury — if it creates availability issues for him — would nix that possibility if Pryor needs to start at left guard against the Colts. Their only other option at guard is Bill Murray, who shined in extended preseason reps but has still not played a regular-season snap in his career.