Getty Offensive guard Teven Jenkins of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears have been active roster builders at several of the skill positions on offense, like wide receiver, and higher-profile spots on defense, such as edge rusher and cornerback — but the trenches remain a legitimate concern.
In that context, Aaron Leming of Windy City Gridiron on July 18 named offensive guard Teven Jenkins among the top five players on Chicago’s current roster most likely to sign a contract extension ahead of the 2025 campaign. Jenkins’ primary obstacle to a new and lucrative deal, though, will be his injury history.
“For my money, Jenkins is the best interior offensive lineman the Bears currently have under contract. The only real question is health,” Leming wrote. “At this point, Jenkins will control his market. The franchise tag is on the table, but Poles has mentioned multiple times that he views it as a last option.”
Leming went on to project a three-year deal worth $48 million that includes $24 million in guaranteed salary for Jenkins at some point over the next several months.
Teven Jenkins Has Publicly Expressed Interest in Remaining With Bears for ‘Long Time’
GettyOffensive guard Teven Jenkins of the Chicago Bears.
The Bears selected Jenkins out of Oklahoma State with the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. The offensive guard signed a four-year deal worth $8.4 million and is entering the final season of that contract in 2024, which he will play at the age of 26.
Jenkins is extension-eligible already, and he told 670 the Score during a May 9 interview that he wants to remain a member of the Bears long into the future. He added, however, that Chicago made it clear that it did not intend to enter into negotiations with arguably its best offensive lineman until after the 2024 draft, which ended nearly two weeks prior to that interview on April 27.
“What I got from my agent, we had to wait until after the draft is all I know,” Jenkins said. “We are going to try to reach out to them here soon. But right now, we’re playing the waiting game. I want to be a Bear for a long time. I still do. That has not changed since I’ve been drafted. But we’re going to see how things unfold and how things play out and just take it day by day.”
Bears Run Risk by Signing Teven Jenkins to Big Deal Now or Waiting Too Long
GettyOffensive guard Teven Jenkins of the Chicago Bears.
Leming suggested that talks on a new deal essentially remain tabled now more than halfway into July. However, he added that fans shouldn’t be concerned just yet because of the player Jenkins proved to be last season.
Jenkins finished the campaign as the league’s 14th-best offensive guard out of 79 players who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). Jenkins was almost equally skilled as a pass and run blocker, tallying player grades of 68.6 and 71.7, respectively. He allowed just 3 sacks and incurred 4 penalties across 731 total offensive snaps, per PFF.
Jenkins is also versatile and has shown an acumen to play successfully on both sides of the line. However, he missed five contests last season due to injury as well as four games the year prior. He started 11 times for Chicago in each of the previous two campaigns.
Due to his injury history, Jenkins poses somewhat of a risk to the Bears on a multiyear extension. That said, there is also risk in Chicago waiting to sign him until after next season, particularly if he repeats his success from 2023 and plays the full year without serious health concerns.
“Similar to last year, the only thing I’d caution [general manager Ryan] Poles against is waiting too long and it costing him big money again,” Leming added, referencing the $76 million contract cornerback Jaylon Johnson signed with the Bears after putting up a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro season in 2023. “The difference in Jenkins’ market right now could be vastly different if he plays all 17 games. After all, we’ve seen a huge uptick in teams being willing to pay interior offensive linemen.”
