Teven Jenkins May Help Give The Bears One Last Gift

The arrival of Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney sent a clear message. Teven Jenkins would not be returning to the Chicago Bears. It is unfortunate that things have ended this way. The former 2nd round pick has always shown flashes of dominance since being drafted in 2021. Sadly, he never managed to stay healthy for any length of time. The new head coach, Ben Johnson, wanted guys with better track records of durability, or at least somebody with whom he was more familiar. That said, there is still a chance Jenkins could give the Bears one last assist.

Buzz is picking up that the Cincinnati Bengals are interested in Jenkins, which isn't a surprise after they cut Alex Cappa. Projections have the former Bears guard commanding around $13 million per year on his next contract. It will nudge Chicago closer to a rare occurrence if that proves true.

Right now, the Bears have two signings that count against the compensatory pick formula for 2026. Darrell Taylor canceled one of them when he signed a deal with Houston. That leaves one remaining, which Jenkins could wipe out if he signs any deal north of $5 million.

Teven Jenkins did enough to make this possible.

Teven Jenkins could open the door for a compensatory pick. Presuming the Bears don't sign another free agent who counts against the formula, all they would need is one of their own former players to sign a deal with another team worth at least $5 million per year. Right now, it looks like Coleman Shelton and Keenan Allen are the two most likely candidates to achieve this. Shelton recently signed a two-year deal with the Rams, but the numbers aren't yet known. Allen hasn't landed anywhere but will at some point soon.

He won't command huge money like in the past. Still, the former Pro Bowler should have no issue eclipsing the $5 million barrier. If so, the Bears could be looking at a 6th or 7th round compensatory pick, even more if the contract is hefty. Stacking draft picks is always important. GM Ryan Poles has traded away quite a few over the past year. Regardless of value, being able to get one back can't be overlooked. Teven Jenkins is the key.