NEWSLETTER
Finding optimism in the face of the Chicago Bears injury report is a challenge.
Friday’s update is more of the same from Thursday. Six players did not practice due to their respective injuries. Among them were Khalil Mack (foot), Eddie Jackson (hamstring), and Alec Ogletree (ankle). Three starters beginning the practice week ahead of Monday’s game against the Steelers being unable to participate isn’t a great start. But sometimes, you have to remind yourself not to lose sight of the forest while being lost in the trees.
And when it comes to a progress report for rookie offensive lineman Teven Jenkins, look no further than the hill next to Halas Hall.
First, it was Chicago Audible’s Nicholas Moreano spotting Jenkins off in the distance doing sprints…
Teven Jenkins is back on the hill doing some sprints. pic.twitter.com/Ro4Y3F9aFB
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) November 5, 2021
… and later, it was Shaw Media’s Sean Hammond sharing video of Jenkins workout:
#Bears rookie offensive tackle Teven Jenkins was running hill sprints (in the background here) at practice Friday. pic.twitter.com/QBjkrE6Mms
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) November 5, 2021
Simply seeing Jenkins running sprints seems like a positive development.
It is an encouraging sign to see Jenkins doing physical activities again. Don’t get me wrong. Even though a return later this season wasn’t ruled out, I still have my doubts about seeing Jenkins make a full return in 2021. Back injuries are often tricky and must be handled with care. And the last thing these Bears should be doing is rushing back a player from injury. Especially one who figures to be a key piece in what they are building on offense. But between this, reports of Jenkins being spotted in the wild at practice last week, and Jason Peters’ recent insight, I would venture to say things are trending in a positive direction.
Perhaps a time will come this season for us to figure out where Jenkins fits in a lineup. And it’s not as if there isn’t a shortage of combinations.
Jenkins would’ve been the team’s starting left tackle had he been healthy. However, Peters is holding it down at the position. And it doesn’t seem ideal to risk something happening to Justin Fields to test a rookie coming off an injury. With Peters being an anchor on the left side, Jenkins at right tackle makes sense. If you’ll recall, Jenkins was a right tackle at Oklahoma State. Moreover, that is the position he would have been playing had the team not cut Charles Leno Jr. after the draft. But Larry Borom could play his way into securing that role with a strong run while Germain Ifedi is out with a knee injury. Would the Bears move a tackle inside? Shifting Jenkins (or even Borom? Ifedi?) to guard, and using Cody Whitehair or James Daniels at center is feasible. This would leave Sam Mustipher as an odd-man out.
In other words, we could see a line shift later this year resembling the one that came down the stretch last season. The line change at the end of 2020 brought new life to a morbid group. Maybe history repeats itself. Not that I want to get too ahead of my skis. It’s just something to keep in mind as we move along through this thing.
In the end, I’m glad that we can talk about news on the injury front in a positive light. That we’re even discussing this as a possibility is a testament to doctors, trainers, and Jenkins himself. Keep working and hope for the best. That’s all Jenkins (and the Bears) can do at this point. Should this trend continue, perhaps more conversations will come.
