Bears Offer Teven Jenkins A Direct Response Regarding Contract Extension.
Although the Chicago Bears aren’t seeking to initiate talks just now, Teven Jenkins is prepared to begin discussing a possible contract extension. Jenkins, who will play his final season as a rookie in 2024 with the Bears, has expressed his desire to sign a new contract and remain in Chicago for the long haul ever since the early summer. He revealed to 670 The Score in May that he had contacted the Bears through his agency to initiate talks, but he was advised to hold off until after the NFL draft.
In that interview, Jenkins reaffirmed his desire to “be a Bear for a long time.” But for the time being, Jenkins and his representative continue to wait. At the start of training camp, when questioned about the status of contract talks, he replied that the Bears had turned down their desire to start talks after the draft and that the team had once again urged them to postpone such discussions until later in the season.
“After the team’s third practice of training camp on July 22, Jenkins told reporters, ‘I was told I have to wait until the bye week to reconvene about it.'” Bears Continue to Worry About Teven Jenkins’ Health A 2021 second-round selection who turned 26 in March, Jenkins has been a productive player for the Bears since making the move from offensive tackle to guard during his rookie campaign.
Jenkins allowed just two sacks on 304 pass-blocking snaps in his debut season as a starting guard in 2022. Pro Football Focus gave him a high-end run-blocking grade of 82.2, which appeared to indicate his potential for stardom. Between 2022 and 2023, he switched from guard to left, but he continued to play at a high level even when the Bears asked him to play back on the right side for four games because of an injury.
But Jenkins’ availability rather than his playing caliber is the issue. The Bears’ debut season was marred by his back problems in college; following back surgery, they were forced to place him on injured reserve prior to the start of the season. Even though he came back and played 160 snaps to finish the season, it cast doubt on his future.
Since then, Jenkins has improved, albeit not to the point where the Bears should stop worrying about him. Injuries kept him out of action for four games in the second half of the 2022 season, forcing him to sign on injured reserve before the team’s January season finale. Five more games, including the first four of the following year, in 2023.
Given Jenkins’ history of injuries, it makes sense that the Bears would rather wait until the middle of the 2024 season to begin negotiations with his camp for a new contract. If Jenkins wants the Bears to make more of an investment, he will need to demonstrate that he can continue to be a top player and stay healthy. He ought to get his paycheck, if he can.
Teven Jenkins Is Putting More Effort Into Taking Care of His Body: Professional athletes involved in contact sports often struggle to manage injuries. However, Jenkins is going above and beyond what he has done in the past to make sure his body is strong for the 2024 season as well as his long-term future in the NFL.
Jenkins disclosed to the media during his most recent session that he has been investing a lot more money in his body than he has in the past. In order to prepare for game days, he intends to discuss with his personal trainer the possibility of twice-weekly visits to his home. In an effort to improve his nutrition and reduce his body’s in-season inflammation, he is trying out new chefs. Jenkins calculates that he is now “almost double” what he used to spend on his body. (And, let’s be honest, with a newborn in the house, it is no simple chore).
Jenkins stated, “To be honest, [I’m doing it for] basically the future of what I want.” “I’ve expressed repeatedly my desire to play for the Chicago Bears and my willingness to pay it forward in order to receive a return in the long run. I’m determined to stick with this and recognize that I must invest more in the short term in order to secure a better long-term future for my family and myself.”