As the most anticipated Chicago Bears season is about to begin, there are question marks that remain unanswered. While many are concerned about the possible lack of pass rush outside of Montez Sweat, the offensive line has the potential to be a huge problem that could derail a promising season.
No one can fault general manager Ryan Poles for not making any investment. He drafted Darnell Wright 10th overall in last year's draft and also signed free-agent guard Nate Davis. He finally parted ways with much-maligned center Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick, signed Coleman Shelton to be the center and added guard Ryan Bates from the Buffalo Bills a year later after he signed him to an offer sheet which the Bills matched.
But the biggest question mark surrounding the offensive line happens to be two players both playing the same position. Left guard Nate Davis and right guard Teven Jenkins.
Davis, in particular, has barely practiced thoroughout the training camp due to a soft tissue injury and has become a thorn on the side of many Bears fans this off-season. Last season, Davis went through similar ordeal where a death of a close family member forced him to miss Week 2 action against Tampa Bay and missed four additional games with an ankle injury.
The situation has been so frustrating even for head coach Matt Eberflus, who has openly expressed his frustration recently and even indicated his could lose his job. Davis heeded the warning from Eberflus by returning to pratice on August 13th. But he looked very rusty, and his performance against Cincinnati last Saturday raised serious concerns.
Nate Davis did NOT have a good game. It turns out practicing might have a correlation with how well you play in the game.. #DaBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/5FQGNg8CU3
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) September 11, 2023
The Bears find themselves in a conundrum with Davis. Do they give him several snaps on Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs backup defenders or sit him out and not risk his health any further? Or do they bench him and let him earn his way back into the starting lineup?
Meanwhile, Teven Jenkins is entering a critical season where he is playing for a new contract. Like Davis, staying healthy has been a major obstacle in his career since drafted by then general manager Ryan Pace in 2021.
His rookie season was marred by the back surgery he had just before the regular season, and he was not activated until December 2021. The following season, he moved to right guard and started 11 games. But he suffered a neck inujry and was carried off in a strecher in late December against Philadelphia. Last year, he moved to right guard to accommodate the addition of Davis. Unfortunately, he was placed on injury reserve just before the start of last season due to a calf injury. He was finally activated in Week 5 but missed the Arizona game last December due to a concussion.
Overall, he has missed 20 games in his first four years in the league. To his credit, he has been investing more into taking care of himself this off-season. And if he can prove he can stay healthy for the first time in his career, he will get paid, whether it is with the Bears or someone else, thanks to the big contracts many starting guards received this off-season.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed their Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson a 4-year, $84 million deal extension. Meanwhile Carolina Panthers, coming off a putrid 1-16 season last year, signed two free-agent guards to beef up their protection for quarterback Bryce Young. They signed Robert Hunt from the Miami Dolphins to a 5-year, $100 million deal with $63 million guaranteed while Damien Lewis signed a 4-year, $53 million deal with $26.25 million guaranteed. And just last month, Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz signed a 4-year, $80 million deal.
His agents requested to discuss a contract negotiation last month. But the Bears wisely declined to have those talks until Week 7 during their bye week. Because of his injury history, Jenkins probably will not receive the contract both Dickerson and Hunt received no matter how great he plays this season. History has shown in every professional sport, those who play well in their contract year tend to regress or lose their edge after signing a big contract.
The Bears have made significant investment on their offensive skill players to give Williams a chance to succeed as a rookie. But if the interior protection breaks down like we have seen many times the last few seasons when Justin Fields was under heavy duress, all their effort and potential goes to waste.
There is no question the Bears fans are definitely frustrated with both players particularly Davis. Perhaps Jenkins can look no further and make sure that he does not follow the same footsteps (Or missteps) Davis is making these days as many are openly questioning him these days.
Also, rookie 3rd round pick Kiran Amegadjie, a local product out of Hinsdale was recently activated from the NFI list. The coaching staff could use him as a backup for one of the guard position along with Ryan Bates. If he performs well, then he could be a starting guard next season, replacing either Davis or Jenkins.
There are no more excuses left for Davis and Jenkins. Both players must stay healthy and raise their performance or Ryan Poles will move on from both players next season.