Getty Chicago Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins was spotted running hills.
Finally, some good news if you’re a Chicago Bears fan: Teven Jenkins, the team’s second-round offensive lineman who had back surgery to start the regular season, was spotted running hill sprints during Chicago’s November 5 practice.
When asked about the rookie o-lineman on October 20, Bears head coach Matt Nagy said there was “no change with him,” but one of the team’s veterans gave a different update several days later.
“Teven, I think he’s coming around in a couple more weeks. You know, slow progression with him,” offensive lineman Jason Peters said about Jenkins on October 26th. As it turns out, Peters’ prediction seems to be coming true, because we just got our first look at Jenkins up and running since his surgery in August, courtesy of video shared on Twitter by Shaw Media’s Sean Hammond:
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We Still May Not See Jenkins Play This Season
The initial hope was for Jenkins to possibly see the field by November, according to an August 18th tweet by NFL insider Adam Schefter, but that’s not likely. Nagy said heading into Week 9 that the rookie OL would be staying on the physically unable-to-perform list, at least for now.
The Bears moved up to select the 6-foot-6, 321-pound rookie with the 39th overall pick, and the hope is he’ll grow into a long-term solution at guard.
Back injuries aren’t something to rush back from, however, and Chicago is likely to err on the side of caution with him. That said, there would be some real value in getting Jenkins out there for at least a few games, so the Bears could better gauge what they have in him. We’ll see if that happens. If he does play, it’ll likely be in December, but it’s certainly possible he surprises and plays earlier. It’s also possible he doesn’t play at all this year.
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Jenkins Has Been Staying Busy
While he hasn’t been able to join the team on the field this season, Jenkins and fellow rookie offensive lineman Larry Borom have been hitting the books while recovering from their respective back injuries.
“No problem keeping him engaged, because when we’re in our meetings, you know, we ask everybody questions,” offensive line coach Juan Castillo said about Jenkins in October, via Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports. “I have a bunch of great guys, so the guys keep him engaged. They have fun. They work their ass off, they have fun. So then when we’re watching tape it’s easy just to ask him questions, just like everybody else. He’s a very smart young man and very dedicated young man.”
Castillo also revealed a bit about specific assignments he has given his rookies: He has them write scouting reports on defenders the team is facing that particular week.
“They write him up, they put a video together and then they present it in front of the older kids that are playing,” Castillo said. “So that’s what he does. … Then he’ll put up on the board, he’ll put up for me, he puts up the roster, he puts up the run plays,” Castillo added. “So I’ve got him doing things to keep him active. Also, so he can hear the plays and all that. But he’s in the meetings all the time, so staying very active, stays around the guys. Great kid, hard worker, excited.”
Jenkins hasn’t exactly had the start the Bears may have envisioned when they drafted him, but a slow start is better than no start at all. It’s worth monitoring, but this is the most encouraging sign yet for the second-round o-lineman.
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