New Details On Teven Jenkins Issue Make Drafting Him Look Even Worse

Nobody thought poorly of the Chicago Bears when they drafted Teven Jenkins. On the surface, it looked like a strong pick. He was a big, powerful offensive tackle with a serious mauler mentality. The offensive line needed more of that. With some cultivation of his technique, he could be a long-term starter. Then he missed more than half his rookie season in 2021 with a back injury requiring surgery. Here, details about why he fell out of the 1st round, where many projected him to go, began surfacing. It turns out Jenkins was already nursing a back problem even before the Bears traded up to get him. A significant red flag that GM Ryan Pace ignored. The craziest part is that it might've not been the only one. This was made clear over the past week when Jenkins was a no-show to start his second training camp.

People couldn't understand why.

He'd been there for OTAs and minicamps. There were no signs he had suffered another injury. The Bears were tight-lipped on what the issue was. Then David Kaplan reported on his YouTube page that the second-year tackle was at odds with the coaching staff. Maturity issues were mentioned as the primary reason for his absence. Barely 24 hours later, news dropped that Jenkins was on the trade block. More details have surfaced, courtesy of Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog. His connections inside the organization have always appeared strong. He provided an update on Jenkins. It seems several NFL teams had serious concerns about his mental stability. They weren't sure he'd be able to handle the grind of the pro level. That was especially true if the coaches were willing to push him hard like Matt Eberflus and Chris Morgan apparently were.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB9R9oKbLzE&ab_channel=670TheScore

Teven Jenkins has talent, but it matters little without drive.

It is becoming clear why GM Ryan Poles didn't like the Bears' offensive line when he took over. The issue wasn't so much ability in his mind. It was the willingness to play with a mean streak and be the aggressor. Too often, the group came across as passive. They weren't willing to fight for each other or their quarterback. That is why James Daniels was allowed to leave in free agency. It appears this problem has haunted Pace's legacy throughout his GM tenure. Go back and look at the entire slate of linemen he drafted. Only one of them managed to reach a second contract with the team. Most of the failures could be chalked up to guys lacking durability or mental stability. Teven Jenkins makes for a horribly fitting exclamation point.

Now Poles has to undo all that damage.

He signed Lucas Patrick, Michael Schofield, and Riley Reiff in free agency. Braxton Jones, Zachary Thomas, Doug Kramer, and Ja'Tyre Carter all arrived via the draft. The Bears are desperately searching for solutions up front, trying to fix a situation that started going sideways six years ago. Early reports out of training camp suggest Justin Fields is in for a difficult season. Unfortunately, Jenkins ended up being the pick despite other much better choices being available.