In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears drafted Teven Jenkins with the 39th overall pick. Jenkins is still developing as a player in the NFL and the team has asked him to change his position. He came into the league as a tackle and the team moved him to guard last season.
Jenkins has played 19 games over two seasons with the Bears and has made 13 starts. It was reported today that the 25-year-old is dealing with a leg injury. Some reports have said that Jenkins could miss the first month of the season. The Bears are going to have to turn to a backup to fill in for Jenkins in the meantime.
Teven Jenkins’ leg injury is another blow to the Bears’ interior offensive line
#Bears starting G Teven Jenkins is dealing with a leg injury that might keep him sidelined into the first month of the regular season, per @BradBiggs. Jenkins started 11 games last season.
Chicago kicks off their season on September 10th against Green Bay. pic.twitter.com/dBjyiT0FLS
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 21, 2023
During the 2022 NFL season, Teven Jenkins played in 13 of Chicago’s 17 games and made 11 starts. Last week, Jenkins participated in both joint practice sessions with the Colts. On Thursday evening of last week, Jenkins did not disclose an injury to the media. He was one of a number of Bears starters who did not play in their second preseason game.
At the beginning of Chicago’s training camp, the second-round pick left practice with an undisclosed injury. The injury caused him to miss just one day and he was back after that. His most recent leg injury must have occurred sometime last week and got worse over the weekend. Chicago wants to have a more explosive offense this season and losing Jenkins to begin the year is not ideal.
Every snap Alex Leatherwood played in the #Bears second preseason game. He is next up on the depth chart after Teven Jenkins at LG. pic.twitter.com/gRefsecKDE
— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) August 21, 2023
On the Bears’ unofficial depth chart, Alex Leatherwood is listed as the backup LG. He was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders with the 17th overall pick in 2021. He played and started in all 17 games as a rookie. Leatherwood was released after one season with the Raiders and played in 2022 with the Bears. The 24-year-old played in four games and made zero starts.
During practice, Leatherwood has played every position on the offensive line except for center. His time with the Raiders ended quickly, but Leatherwood might have another chance to prove he can still be a starter. While the Bears would rather have Teven Jenkins at LG, they may have to survive for a month or longer with Leatherwood.
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