The Chicago Bears are dealt an unexpected blow to the offensive line
Out of nowhere, the Chicago Bears have been dealt a major blow to the offensive line. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune is reporting that Teven Jenkins could miss a month or more due to a leg injury. To this point, the Bears have been very quiet when it comes to injuries. They haven't given any details that are not required and we all have to wonder just how serious some of the players' injuries truly are. Now, the question is, when did this injury actually occur?
The timing of the situation seems a bit off. Teven Jenkins spoke after Thursday's joint practice with the Colts saying that he was holding up well. He didn't play in the preseason game on Saturday and now, he might miss a month or more. I'm hearing from someone that the incident didn't take place on the practice field and rumors are it might be an at-home incident. This has not been confirmed yet, but worth keeping an eye on.
The Chicago Bears are likely to be without Teven Jenkins to start the year
The scary thing is that I may have cursed him myself. During our recording of the Halas Huddle podcast tonight, my cohost and I were talking about Teven Jenkins and injuries in general. I mentioned how injuries can happen anywhere while mentioning tripping over gym bags or getting into a motorcycle incident. If the rumors I am hearing are confirmed, is it possible that I jinxed Teven Jenkins and the Chicago Bears? Yikes.
With Jenkins slated to miss that much time, Alex Leatherwood will now be the likely candidate to step into that starting left guard spot. He has looked good for the most part this preseason, but he's definitely a downgrade compared to Jenkins. This means, as of now, the starting offensive line for the Chicago Bears heading into the first game of the season vs the Green Bay Packers will most likely be as follows:
- Braxton Jones, LT
- Alex Leatherwood, LG
- Cody Whitehair, C
- Nate Davis (hopefully), RG
- Darnell Wright, RT
This is frustrating as Teven Jenkins has been arguably the best offensive lineman on the Bears' roster, but durability has never been on his side. Jenkins has dealt with multiple injuries over his first two years — mostly with his back and neck. That is what I am holding onto for this one. The glass-half-full approach is being thankful that the injury is not related to his back or neck once again. The bad part is that the starting offensive line will once again not be playing together and we all know how consistency and chemistry are keys to a great offensive line.
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Look for the Chicago Bears to potentially add a name or two as guys are cut at the end of August. Ryan Poles has already shown he's not afraid to claim guys when available. The Bears have the first priority when it comes to waivers through Week 3 of the season. I'd expect Poles to look for depth at guard and also offensive tackle.