Subscribe
Follow Us
In 2024, the Cleveland Browns allowed a whopping 66 sacks, ranking second-worst in the NFL behind the Chicago Bears (68). However, as they try to build their protection — around whoever starts as Cleveland's quarterback in 2025 — the Browns got busy on Thursday afternoon, signing former Chicago Bears offensive guard Teven Jenkins in free agency, per Jordan Schultz on X.
“Sources: Former Bears G Teven Jenkins is signing with the Browns,” Schultz wrote. “The former second-round pick started 38 games over four seasons in Chicago.”
Sources: Former #Bears G Teven Jenkins is signing with the #Browns.
The former second-round pick started 38 games over four seasons in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/5zShDHShci
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 20, 2025
Although Jenkins is a mean, physical guard when he's healthy, he doesn't always suit up due to an egregiously unlucky run with the injury bug.
Jenkins appeared in six games as a rookie, starting twice. Then, he averaged 12 starts per season over his last three years in Chicago, showing slight improvement in his injury luck.
With that, even though he appeared in games and started a fair portion of them, he appeared in 70% or more of offensive snaps in a season.
- 2021: 14.35% of offensive snaps
- 2022: 55.71% of offensive snaps
- 2023: 64.67% of offensive snaps
- 2024: 64.96% of offensive snaps
To give those percentages context, here's how the guard(s) on the other side of the offensive line — Cody Whitehair (2021-2023) and Matt Pryor (2024) — faired from 2021-2024.
- 2021: 100% of offensive snaps
- 2022: 63.93% of offensive snaps
- 2023: 69.42% of offensive snaps
- 2024: 88.56% of offensive snaps
2024 was a fluid year for the Bears up front with multiple different offensive line combinations over the 17-week season.
But those numbers should hopefully paint the picture for Jenkins' health.
So although he's an impressive player when he's in the game, the Bears weren't willing to take another chance on bringing Jenkins back, especially with their offseason moves.
However, the Browns look to get the best from the 27-year-old offensive lineman in the fifth year of his career with that bar rising each season after.
Ex-Bears OL Teven Jenkins hopes for rebound with Browns in 5th year
It's possible that Jenkins still has good football remaining in his NFL career. But for a team looking to compete — the Bears — it makes more sense for the Browns to bring him in, giving him a new environment to work in without sky-high expectations off the start.
The Browns don't even know who their quarterback will be in 2025, and free-agency options are drying up. So with that, it shows that Cleveland might not be in the position to throw all of their money and resources at contending to win a Super Bowl immediately.
Can they still make that jump from 2024 to 2025? Sure, but the likelihood isn't incredibly high.
Instead, it makes sense to build up the roster in other places — sending flyers on players who have shown they can play well — and allowing the rest of the roster to shake out as it's meant to.
Regardless of other positions on the team, the Browns got a physical, mean — yet inconsistent — offensive lineman in Jenkins for the upcoming 2025 season. They just hope he can stay healthier than he has throughout his NFL career thus far.
