Back in June, Teven Jenkins mentioned that his agents had reached out to the Bears about a contract extension but hadn’t heard back. By July, just before training camp, Jenkins shared that the Bears informed him they wouldn’t discuss the extension until after their bye week in October. Now that the Bears are in their bye week, it’s time for both sides to sit down and determine if a deal makes sense. Should the Bears consider extending the former 2nd-round pick? It could be a smart move if Jenkins and his representatives are reasonable about the price. We know that Bears GM Ryan Poles sticks firmly to numbers that he and his staff deem fair, as we saw in the case of Roquan Smith.
Let’s look at Jenkins’ performance in the first six games of the season:
In 327 blocking snaps (206 pass, 121 run), Jenkins has allowed 7 total pressures, which include 2 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 4 hurries. He’s committed just one penalty and boasts a 97.6 Pass Blocking Efficiency—a PFF signature stat that measures pressure allowed per snap with extra weight on sacks. All of these snaps have been at left guard, although last season he displayed versatility, logging 455 snaps at left guard and an additional 276 at right guard. This year, he has started all six games, although he had to leave two games early due to pain tolerance related injuries. Importantly, he hasn’t missed any additional time beyond that.
Ultimately, the NFL is a business, and availability is key to success and getting paid. Teven Jenkins has shown Pro Bowl potential when healthy and on the field. While six games might be a small sample size, securing Jenkins with an extension could benefit the Bears and potentially save them money at a premium position—much like Jaylon Johnson’s current deal, which is considered a steal. News of Jenkins’ extension could come soon, making it something to watch closely in the coming days.
