Should the Bears give Teven Jenkins a contract extension?

Chicago Bears guard Teven Jenkins has gotten a pretty raw deal since he was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. First, he missed most of his rookie season with injuries. Then, in his second season, the Bears underwent a regime change, and they kicked him inside from offensive tackle to guard. And in his third year, they moved him from the right side to the left.

Through all the adversity, Jenkins has handled himself with professionalism and a good bit of humor. He’s shown tremendous progress as a player since his rookie season, averaging a 75.6 grade from Pro Football Focus these last two years. Now, he’s coming up on a contract year and still does not have an extension or an offer on the table.

Teven Jenkins says his mindset this year is to stay healthy and to play 17 games. Also to continue his strong play of last year. Jenkins says his agent reached out to the Bears for a contract extension. No offer is on the table right now.

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) June 5, 2024

Availability is the most important ability

I’m not surprised that no offer has yet been made to Jenkins. As good as he’s been, GM Ryan Poles can’t ignore the injury issues that have plagued him. In three years, he’s already missed 20 games (to be fair, 11 of those came in his rookie season when he required surgery in the summer). And just last year, he suffered an injury very early in training camp, leading to him missing time to start the season.

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I trust that Ryan Poles knows he’s got a great offensive lineman in Teven Jenkins, and I’m sure he would like nothing more than to get a deal done. But he has to consider every factor, including health, and that’s why I doubt an extension will be resolved this offseason. If Poles is to get a deal done with Jenkins, he will want to see a better year of health. That would likely mean getting through training camp and playing at least 15 games.

If Jenkins can hit those marks in 2024, I think the Bears should and will lock him up on a long-term deal. If he misses significant time again, however, I think Bears fans will have to say goodbye to one of their favorites.