GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus understood reality when the 2024 off-season began. If the Chicago Bears were going to take the next step, they had to upgrade their offense. The defense had proven it was back among the NFL's best during the second half of last season. It was their inability to score points in key moments. That was why they couldn't protect 4th quarter leads enough. So, their overarching objective was to invest their resources on that side of the ball from top to bottom. Teven Jenkins was right in the middle of it all.
The left guard watched as they added D'Andre Swift in free agency, Keenan Allen via trade, and Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the 1st round of the draft. It was a flurry of moves that were widely praised both inside and outside the NFL. Jenkins couldn't hold back his excitement as well. He's already been working with Williams in practice and is impressed by the rookie's approach. However, the fourth-year guard believes there is one move the team made that isn't getting enough attention for its importance. He explained to Carmen Vitali of Fox Sports.
But according to Jenkins, that responsibility is being shared throughout the line because, well, on an offense full of new, the line is where the experience lies.
"I feel more continuity this year," Jenkins says. "There's more explanation behind what we're doing. Instead of like last year, [where] some things were gray in some areas. [Now], we're really hammering out the small details and I feel like half the stuff is because we retained [offensive line coach] Chris Morgan."
Teven Jenkins raises an important point.
Normally when a large section of a coaching staff gets replaced, it's a clean sweep. Matt Nagy did it multiple times on the offensive side during his tenure. When Eberflus decided to dismiss offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, it was expected the entire staff would go with him. However, the Bears head coach made it clear that Morgan would be retained, regardless of who they hired as the next coordinator. The reasoning was obvious. The offensive line coach had done a stellar job over the past two years.
He helped a rookie, Braxton Jones, become a starting left tackle despite coming from a smaller school. He managed to maintain cohesion through a gauntlet of injuries last season and helped 1st round pick Darnell Wright stand out as one of the NFL's best rookie blockers. Teven Jenkins knows the impact Morgan has on the offense's fortunes. Continuity is also vital for an offensive line to have success. That goes for players on the field and the coaching. Constantly rotating guys doesn't help anybody.
Eberflus made the right call, and it wouldn't be surprising if the line proves it with a standout 2024.
