Teven Jenkins will be activated off of the IR this week. The Chicago Bears have to do it after opening his 21-day window to return three weeks ago. If he is not activated by this Saturday, he will be out for the entire season, and considering they opened the window knowing that, and he had no setbacks, he will be active this weekend.
It has been a long road for the second-round rookie, but being able to get him healthy and on a football field is going to be a huge win for the team. Now, the question becomes whether the Chicago Bears should immediately start Teven Jenkins, or perhaps ease him into the mix?
Should Chicago Bears boot Jason Peters from LT?
The reality is that if Teven Jenkins starts Sunday, it will be at left tackle. He has worked at both left and right tackle, but all reports are that he has primarily been on the left side. Beyond that, this makes a lot of sense. The Bears have a rookie at right tackle, and a 40-year old at left tackle. They need to find youth on the left side and may have their future locked up at both bookends.
This has to be a serious discussion, though, because Jason Peters has arguably been the Bears best lineman. That is depressing in itself, but this is a strong veteran who has seen every trick in the book. His wisdom helps the whole line, but moving from him to a rookie could make a life for Justin Fields worse. This is coming off an injury as well.
Starting Jenkins may not be fair to Peters, but it could also hurt the rest of the line and Justin Fields. It is not a decision that can be made lightly.
Is Teven Jenkins ready to start for Chicago Bears?
The next question is whether or not Jenkins is physically ready. Sure, the Bears will lose experience at left tackle, but Jenkins can surely move better, and the drop-off should not be significant so long as Jenkins is not completely lost.
Beyond that, the Bears are not necessarily playing for a Super Bowl, so giving Jenkins experience at his future position is more important than anything else involving Jason Peters.
Of course, if they do not think that he is ready to jump right into the lineup, then he will not play. They have to activate from the IR, but they can still make him their swing tackle off of the bench for a week or two.
The biggest question will be Chandler Jones. The left tackle this week should see a heavy dose of one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. Even Peters will struggle at his age, but the Bears have to be cognizant of that matchup. Is that who they want Jenkins to see to start his career?
Perhaps a week as a swing tackle will help ease him into starting the following week. Either way, we will get significant updates on Jenkins very soon.