The Bears announced they designated starting left guard Teven Jenkins to return to practice on Monday. It was a welcome bit of good news amidst the whirlwind of drama that continues to swirl around the team.
Jenkins began the season on injured reserve with a leg injury, which forced the Bears to move Cody Whitehair from center to left guard. In turn, they inserted backup lineman Lucas Patrick as the new starting center. Over the first four games of the season, the offensive line has played inconsistently. They’ve had ups and downs in both run blocking and pass protection. The hope is that when Jenkins returns to the lineup, he’ll help the unit play better more consistently.
The team now has 21 days to activate Jenkins to the active roster. If they don’t he’ll head back to IR for the rest of the year. However, there’s no reason to believe Jenkins won’t be activated. When asked last week, head coach Matt Eberflus spoke positively about the possibility of Jenkins returning to the team, soon.
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“We’re excited where he is,” said Eberflus last Friday. “We’ll see. Obviously they’re working through that process. But we’re excited where he is.”
It seems unlikely that Jenkins will be ready to play against the Commanders this Thursday. The Bears will only have walkthroughs on Monday and Tuesday, and one non-padded practice on Wednesday before the game. That’s likely not enough for Jenkins to ramp up into game shape. With the extra time afforded after a Thursday night game, Jenkins could find a way back onto the field for Week 6 against the Vikings.
The Bears’ nightmare start to the 2023 NFL season rolled on in Week 4 with a devastating loss to the Broncos and the news that wide receiver Chase Claypool was asked to stay at home while the team prepares for the Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
When Jenkins has been healthy, he’s been one of the team’s most dominant offensive lineman. He’s dealt with several injuries throughout his short career, however. Jenkins missed a significant portion of his rookie season with a back injury that required surgery. He also missed time last season with a neck injury and a hip injury.
