Is this the most important injury update of the Chicago Bears offseason?
When we look at the Chicago Bears roster, there are not many lingering injuries from 2021 that are concerning for 2022. Had Khalil Mack not been traded, he would probably have been the biggest concern from an injury standpoint, but with him gone and Akiem Hicks no longer under contract, the most important injury update for the Chicago Bears in my opinion is Teven Jenkins.
Fans were caught off guard when it was reported that Teven Jenkins was dealing with a back injury that would sideline him early in his rookie career. A back injury that ruined many Chicago Bears fans’ expectations and led to the need for surgery. The injury kept him off the field until late in the season.
Jenkins’ back instantly became a point of criticism for Ryan Pace. We heard numerous comparisons to Pace’s first pick of his general manager career — Kevin White. Another comparison that I heard many Chicago Bears fans use was a former offensive tackle who also dealt with back issues — Chris Williams. Although there were vast differences between Teven Jenkins’ situation and the White and Williams’ situations, fans still wanted to pour salt on the wound.
Teven Jenkins is not only fully healthy, but he’s also 20 pounds lighter
Now, the fact that Jenkins was able to come back and play for the last six games should have been enough for fans to feel comfortable about his career going forward. However, it’s important to know that his back has held up and he is fully healthy.
Teven Jenkins not only has no concerns with this injury, but he has made it known that he strengthened his back by doing Pilates. Jenkins talked about why he has enjoyed doing Pilates because it focuses on his core strength. Having a strong core alleviates plenty of back pain he said.
He has really focused on his body this offseason and he has proven it by dropping 20 pounds. This is important since Ryan Poles had made it known he wants the offensive line to get lighter and leaner. Jenkins playing weight last season was 345 and he’s now down to 325. This should hopefully prove important with the new outside zone running scheme Luke Getsy is installing.
The new Chicago Bears regime seems set on playing Teven Jenkins at right tackle. Honestly, this is where he should have always been slotted as he is a more natural right tackle than left. That said, he has not taken the field enough