Chicago Bears starting left guard Teven Jenkins remains a possibility for the Week 5 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, but head coach Matt Eberflus is holding back on providing further details, stating that Jenkins is “day-to-day” with his injury.
Jenkins sustained a rib injury while blocking during the Bears’ third drive in their 24-18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Following his injury, the team shifted newly appointed starter Matt Pryor from right guard to left guard and called upon veteran Nate Davis to take over Pryor’s previous position at right guard.
Initially, Jenkins was deemed questionable to return to the game, but by halftime, he was ruled out with what Eberflus later described as a “bruised rib.
Eberflus updated reporters on Monday, saying, “Teven’s got a bruised rib. We’ll see where it is. He’s day-to-day, and we’ll assess how he heals over the next couple of days, particularly heading into Wednesday. We’ll make a decision at that point and see where he stands.”
The Bears are expected to give more insights into Jenkins’ status for Week 5 when they release their first injury report after practice on October 2. The way Jenkins progresses during the week will significantly impact his availability for Sunday’s game.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Jenkins’ injury, there is hope he could make a swift recovery, as he did in Week 3 when he played through a deep thigh bruise. He was able to gradually increase his participation in practice and ultimately played all 90 offensive snaps in a close 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
If Jenkins is unable to suit up against the Panthers, the Bears may have no option but to rely on Davis, who had previously been benched. Davis, a $30 million free agent acquisition in 2023, lost his starting right guard position to Pryor before the Colts game. He did play one snap at right guard when Pryor had to shift to left tackle due to an injury, but Davis fell while attempting to block for a screen pass and had to leave the game again.
In the recent victory over the Rams, Davis showed some improvement, earning the team’s highest pass-blocking grade of 80.5 from Pro Football Focus. However, his performance as a run blocker was less impressive, scoring only 44.9, and he ended up with one of the lowest overall offensive grades of 50.0 for the game, tied with center Coleman Shelton.
The Bears are clearly dissatisfied with Davis’ inconsistent performances, but Jenkins’ injury may force the team to depend on him more than they had anticipated. Alternatively, they could consider promoting backup guard Bill Murray to the starting lineup. However, the coaching staff has shown hesitance in trusting Murray, as he was a healthy scratch in Week 4 and has yet to see any playing time this season.
As the situation unfolds, the Bears’ offensive line strategy will be a key storyline leading up to their Week 5 clash with the Panthers.