Tevin Jenkins’ mysterious absence from Chicago Bears coaching camp practices reached the one-week mark Wednesday with the second-year offensive deal with lacking his sixth consecutive apply. The Bears proceed to say Jenkins is coping with an harm with out providing even a sliver of extra element. And when Bears coach Matt Eberflus was pressed about whether or not Jenkins had been current at Halas Hall this week, he remained obscure.
“To work with the trainers, yeah,” Eberflus stated Wednesday. “He’s in the building. Sure.”
Still, there was no indication that Jenkins has been an lively participant in conferences. He has not been on the sidelines throughout practices to take psychological reps both. And with NFL Network reporting earlier this week that the Bears have engaged in commerce talks relating to Jenkins, there’s greater than a little bit smoke swirling to point he shortly is fading from the workforce’s plans — each quick and long run.
So what now?
Eberflus was requested immediately when Jenkins’ team-designated “day-to-day” standing may change. “When it does,” he responded.
As for the impression of Jenkins lacking a lot apply time the previous two weeks? “Anybody who misses time on the grass, that’s not good,” Eberflus stated. “It’s not good for the player, it’s not good for the team.”
Eberflus has talked rather a lot this week in regards to the capacity of gamers to indicate what he calls “functional intelligence,” displaying proficiency in taking what they’re taught within the classroom and through walk-throughs and demonstrating they will apply it productively in high-speed apply conditions.
“How do we see that without (a player) actually functioning on the field?” Eberflus stated. “So that’s the important part of that.”
For these preserving rating, Jenkins has participated in precisely one coaching camp apply throughout his two summers with the Bears. That got here July 27 throughout a shorter, ramp-up session. But the subsequent day, he was gone with out a lot rationalization from the workforce. His return to apply stays indefinite.
Eberflus on Wednesday once more stated Jenkins’ absence was 100% injury-related. Whatever the case, this marks the second consecutive camp that Jenkins’ attendance has develop into a serious storyline at Halas Hall.
In 2021, Jenkins reported to camp early with the rookies however was sidelined earlier than the primary apply with a again subject. Then-coach Matt Nagy initially downplayed the setback and even stated in the course of the third week of camp that it was “arrow up” with regard to Jenkins’ progress towards returning to the sector. But 9 days later, the second-round choose underwent again surgical procedure, which in the end saved him out of form till November.
Jenkins noticed his first offensive motion of his rookie season in Week 14, compelled into the sport at Lambeau Field when beginning left deal with Jason Peters suffered a proper ankle harm. Jenkins performed 49 snaps that night time and 73 the next week as a starter. But even on the tail finish of a misplaced season underneath a training employees that knew its eventual destiny, the Bears confirmed a scarcity of religion in Jenkins and a scarcity of dedication to his long-term improvement.
Jenkins performed solely three offensive snaps within the Bears’ 25-24 win in opposition to the Seahawks in Week 16 and 7 extra the next week in a 29-3 thrashing of the New York Giants. In the season finale, the Bears continued to make use of the 39-year-old Peters as their beginning left deal with and solely turned to Jenkins within the second half of a dispiriting loss that punctuated a 6-11 season.
Jenkins completed the 12 months because the Bears’ second-most penalized participant with seven and went into the offseason with a lot to show.
In June, Jenkins pressured the investments he had revamped the offseason to take his recreation up a notch, working to enhance his weight loss program and reshape his physique whereas pushing to develop into extra constant.
“I’m trying to elevate everything about myself, mentally and physically,” he stated.
But even going again to the pre-draft means of 2021, there have been questions inside league circles about simply how a lot soccer ardour is pumping by way of Jenkins’ veins. The solely technique to reply such questions, in fact, is on the sector.
New Bears common supervisor Ryan Poles has expressed curiosity in reshaping the offensive line since his arrival, speaking a want to search out linemen who’re athletic, agile and play with a constant nastiness. If Jenkins wished to show he suits that mould, his incapability to apply throughout such an essential stage of the Bears’ constructing efforts will show detrimental.
As for the potential of the Bears dealing Jenkins earlier than the season begins? It’s one factor to area calls from different groups on Jenkins’ availability and one other to have tangible provides. In league circles, there’s skepticism the Bears would be capable of get something greater than a sixth- or seventh-round choose in alternate for Jenkins, who was broadly thought to be a top-50 prospect heading into the 2021 draft however has but to show his worth within the NFL. And even then, the draft-capital return may not even be tied into subsequent spring. (As a body of reference, the Bears dealt a 2024 seventh-round choose to the Patriots final month to amass receiver N’Keal Harry, a former first-round choose who flamed out in New England.)
Last summer time, the Bears obtained a fifth-round choice again after they despatched 2018 second-round choose Anthony Miller plus a seventh-round choice to the Houston Texans.
With Jenkins fading from what has been a wide-open offensive line competitors, rookie Braxton Jones continues to impress the coaches as a attainable left deal with starter. On Wednesday, Riley Reiff and Larry Borom divvied up the first-unit reps at proper deal with, the place at which Jenkins noticed most of his work within the spring.
The Bears proceed pushing ahead with out Jenkins. And with every passing day, the group appears to inch nearer towards a disappointing conclusion, dealing with the prospect that yet one more extremely drafted participant will fizzle out underneath their watch.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com