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Throughout his four seasons in the NFL, offensive lineman Teven Jenkins has had a rollercoaster of a career while with the Chicago Bears. When he plays, he's an incredibly talented and physical lineman. However, he isn't always on the field, causing reason for concern with free agency on the horizon. When asked about his thoughts, Caleb Williams' protector was uncertain about his future, per Marquee Bears on X.
When asked if he was ready to enter the open market in free agency, Jenkins didn't hesitate, saying he was mentally prepared to do so.
Furthering the discussion, a reporter asked what Jenkins preferred, staying in Chicago or going elsewhere.
“Toss-up,” Jenkins said, not wasting words in his response.
With Jenkins keeping things relatively short when discussing his future with the Bears, he got asked to name the pros and cons of staying in Chicago, where his NFL career began.
“You know, drafted here, of course,” Jenkins said. “Been through a lot of things here. My daughter was born here. There's a lot of things, like, I have a house here. I have everything, you know, it's a little like a homestay for me, wanting to stay. The opposite side of that, I get a fresh start, get a new narrative. See if I can be who I want to be, and see where I can go from there.”
Teven Jenkins said it’s a ‘toss up’, and that it’s 50/50 on whether he’d like to stay with the Bears or not. pic.twitter.com/saqTP2vdp3
— Marquee Bears (@BearsMarquee) January 6, 2025
So, while his time with the Bears has left him uncertain, there's a strong possibility Ryan Poles and Chicago's upper management think similarly.
Bears OL Teven Jenkins' health major concern regarding new contract, free agency
Since being drafted in 2021, Jenkins could've started in 68 total games. Of those 68, he started in just 38.
That's hardly more than 50% of games.
Now, in 2024, Jenkins hit a career-high in snaps, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune on X.
“#Bears LG Teven Jenkins played a career-high 738 snaps this season,” Biggs wrote. “That represented less than 65% of the team's offensive plays.”
So, through four seasons, Jenkins played nearly 65% of offensive snaps in 2024, setting a career-high.
Now, injuries aren't something a player can control. If they get hurt, that's not their fault.
However, in a business where millions of dollars are spent on players to play, it defeats the purpose if they're unavailable.
As the cliché goes, the best ability is availability, which Jenkins hasn't been able to provide over the past four seasons.
With that, the Bears run the risk of letting Jenkins walk in free agency, leaving themselves with an even bigger hole on an offensive line already full of them.
And after Williams led the league in sacks throughout the 2024 season, obtaining reliable offensive linemen is a necessity for the Bears moving forward.
If Jenkins agreed to an incentive-based contract emphasizing availability, that could be the best route for both parties.
Assuming he stays healthy in 2025— which is a bold assumption— Jenkins gets paid, while the Bears don't have to risk paying him millions to not play.
However, with Jenkins eying the possibility of a fresh start elsewhere, a team could be desperate enough to pay him without loading his contract with incentives.
