Chicago Bears fans were greeted with the unwelcome news on Sunday night that left guard Teven Jenkins could miss a large chunk of the regular season's first month. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune described it as a "leg" injury but didn't have many details on the subject. The Bears haven't offered any comments on the situation yet, but it isn't the development anybody wanted to hear, especially Jenkins himself. This marks the fourth different injury that will force him to miss games since arriving in the NFL two years ago.
It started with a back problem that required surgery to fix. Then last year it was a hip issue followed by multiple stingers. The guy can't seem to catch a break. Now we finally have more details on the problem. Adam Schefter appeared on NFL Live, where he disclosed that Jenkins was dealing with a strain to not one but both of his calves. That is a wild development nobody could've predicted. Calf strain recovery periods depend on severity. First-grade strains take a maximum of three weeks to heal. Second grades take up to six.
The silver lining is Teven Jenkins' issue isn't career-threatening.
Calf strains suck. They're painful and take time to recover from. That said, they aren't tears. That means he should heal with no long-lasting effects. It's also not anything catastrophic like a torn knee ligament or Achilles tear. That said, this development won't do any favors for Jenkins in the eyes of GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. They've remained patient with him up until now, but everybody has their limit. If the injuries last the six-week span, the guard could miss the first four games of the season. That would make for 19 total in his NFL career.
If there is one thing that frustrates NFL decision-makers, it's players who are unreliable. Nobody disputes Teven Jenkins has lots of talent. His size-strength-speed combination is rare for an offensive lineman. Unfortunately, it doesn't mean much if he can't stay on the field to showcase it. When he does return, he better hope he makes it through the rest of the season. Any further missed time virtually guarantees the Bears will be hunting for replacements in 2024.
