Getty Braxton Jones #70, Teven Jenkins #76, and Larry Borom #75 have been battling for starting spots on the Bears' O-Line
By all appearances, Teven Jenkins had the starting right guard job sewed up for the Chicago Bears.
When the Bears finalized their initial 53-man roster on August 30, they released veteran guard Michael Schofield, and it was a telling sign they planned to roll with Jenkins at the position after a summer that has seen him move from second- and third-string tackle to RG.
According to PFF, Jenkins allowed just one QB hit, no pressures and no sacks in his 53 snaps at right guard this preseason. It’s a position that has worked out for him well so far, as it has allowed the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder to use his size and athleticism to good effect:
Teven Jenkins with the pancake block, then he’s up and looking downfield for more. 🥞
Still, after making the roster, Jenkins got candid after the initial cuts were official, revealing he still feels unsure about his place on the team — and that was before Chicago added former first-round offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood via the waiver wire.
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Trade Rumors Have Persisted for Jenkins
Three of the NFL’s top insiders, Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo have all reported Jenkins is a likely trade candidate, but insiders closer to the team, including Adam Jahns of The Athletic, have pegged Jenkins as the likely starter at right guard.
At the same time, Teven Jenkins has impressed the Bears at right guard. Just listen to what offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said today.
The current Bears don’t strike me as a team that would waste anyone’s reps anywhere. Jenkins has earned his place as the starting RG. (2/2)
“That’s not for me to decide,” Jenkins said when asked about the possibility he could still be traded, via Sports Illustrated. “That’s up to them, however they want to put it or however they want to answer that.”
The 24-year-old O-Lineman noted making the team’s initial roster was no guarantee he’d remain there.
“I still don’t know what my future is going to be because you could still get traded, released, anything, even though you made the 53-man roster,” Jenkins told SI, before getting admirably candid about his current situation.
“I was even wondering today because I wasn’t sure about my future at all right now,” he said, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Ultimately I still can’t (feel certain) right now. It’s just about attacking every day.”
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Jenkins Has Recently Gotten Praise From Bears OC
“Teven’s done a great job of accepting that challenge of right guard,” Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy told Cronin on August 29. “For him to be able to go in and execute at a high level was really good.”
Despite acknowledging this uncertainty, Jenkins admitted he believes he still has a place in the starting lineup.
“I’d say it’s promising for me,” Jenkins told Sports Illustrated. “I’ve heard the good things that coach has said about me and some of my teammates have said about me and it does help motivate me, knowing I’ve got their belief system behind me, so knowing that it helps me believe in myself a lot more.”
We’ll see if the addition of Leatherwood, who has played both tackle and guard over his career dating back to college, changes the lineup at all.
Regardless, Jenkins is willing to do whatever he has to in order to help the team.
“I like to still think of myself as a tackle that can go down and play guard,” Jenkins added. “As of right now, is it better for my career for me to play guard? Yeah, probably, so I’m all for it.”
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