Bears' starter might have already played his final snap with the team after latest Week 18 injury report
The Chicago Bears' Week 18 game against the Green Bay Packers could be the final game in a Bears' uniform for a few players on the roster.It'll be one last opportunity to put more good things together on tape before heading into the offseason, which always is an uncertain time for players around the league.However, […]
The Chicago Bears' Week 18 game against the Green Bay Packers could be the final game in a Bears' uniform for a few players on the roster.
It'll be one last opportunity to put more good things together on tape before heading into the offseason, which always is an uncertain time for players around the league.
However, one Bears' starter might have already played his last snap with the team based on Friday's injury report for the final game of the season.
Bears' left guard Teven Jenkins was ruled out for Sunday's game on Friday with a calf injury that also held him out of Week 17. Jenkins reaggravated the injury in Week 16 against the Detroit Lions, which could quite possibly be his final game with the Bears.
Jenkins' rookie contract expires once the 2024 season comes to a close, making him a free agent, unless the Bears can work out an extension to bring their former second-round pick back. Unfortunately, based on his availability and injury concerns this season, striking an extension looks uncertain for Jenkins.
The last time we heard Jenkins address any extension talks was back in July when he said nothing is on the table with the team and the two sides would reconvene during the team's Week 7 bye week. Jenkins himself mentioned that his injury history complicates things and Sunday will be the third game Jenkins will miss since Week 7, and the 23rd game he's missed since being drafted in 2021.
Letting Jenkins walk is going to be a tough pill for the Bears to swallow considering he's been one of the team's best offensive linemen when healthy, but the injuries might end up forcing the team's hand.
Jenkins' only option to returning to Chicago is likely going to be a short-term deal that's filled with incentives based on play-time that will force him to stay healthy to earn the full amount. One would think Jenkins would likely prefer to hit the market if that's the case and see if any other team offers something better. However, Jenkins was vocal over the summer that he wants to stay in Chicago if given the option.
It'll be a fascinating decision to what for as the Bears head into the offseason but one thing is clear, it's going to be incredibly difficult to replace 3-4 offensive linemen in one offseason and right now the Bears need more good offensive linemen locked in, not less. But we'll see soon how the front office really feels about Jenkins' future.
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