Fourth-year guard Teven Jenkins is looking for an extension and could seek a trade if the Chicago Bears do not give him the money he deserves. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Oklahoma State product has been one of the best players on the Bears over the past two seasons. After struggling at tackle as a rookie, Jenkins thrived after moving to guard. Per Pro Football Focus, Jenkins finished the 2022 season with an elite 80.7 overall grade and 72.6 in 2023, the 14th-best mark out of 79 eligible players.
Normally, teams lock up foundational young players like Teven Jenkins long before they can request a trade. However, that doesn’t appear to be what’s happening here. According to Jenkins himself, the offensive lineman “reached out” to the front office about an extension but Chicago is in no rush to work on a new contract. If Jenkins isn’t a part of the team’s long-term vision, then perhaps Chicago would deal him for a decent return.
Teven Jenkins Could Seek Trade After Stalled Extension Talks
Guard might not be the most important position in the world, but Jenkins is still worth a decent pay grade. Chicago has a new franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams and keeping him upright is crucial to ensuring he pans out at the NFL level. While elite pass rushers generally line up outside, the former second-round pick could help keep the interior pocket clean and give Williams a safe place to step up and deliver passes. If the Bears don’t believe Teven Jenkins is worth a big contract, some other team should be more than willing to trade for his services.
Chicago’s lack of interest combined with the fact the team has already extended big-name players like Cole Kmet, Montez Sweat, Andrew Billings, and Jaylon Johnson implies that a Teven Jenkins trade is on the table. Chicago has a decent amount of cap space, but if they believe he’s not worth the money, they’ll send him away to someone who does.
Possible Landing Spots
New York Giants
The Giants might have the worst offensive line in football. Andrew Thomas is a genuine stud, but the other four positions leave a lot to be desired. New York is stuck with Daniel Jones for at least one more season, but that shouldn’t stop them from trying to improve the supporting cast. The next quarterback will need more help to succeed, and Teven Jenkins can provide that support in a trade. The former second-round pick can dramatically improve the protection for whoever lines up under center while clearing rushing lanes for the newly-signed Devin Singletary.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens lost both starting guards in free agency and haven’t done all that much to replace them. If the season started today, Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland would likely earn starting duties, and that’s not good for anyone. Teven Jenkins would be an immediate upgrade in a trade and should be a natural fit in this offense. The Oklahoma State product is one of the best run blockers in the game who should thrive clearing lanes for Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson.
New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league against pressure, and he will be pressured a lot. The Saints have one of the least inspiring offensive lines in the game, and the unit could singlehandedly keep this team from reaching the playoffs. This could cost Dennis Allen his job, so the head coach should be willing to sacrifice future cap flexibility to trade for Teven Jenkins. New Orleans doesn’t have the cap space to hand out a big deal at this instant, but they could easily restructure a few deals to clear up the money.
New England Patriots
The Bill Belichick Era is officially over and the Patriots are rebuilding from the ground up. Drake Maye’s ceiling is as high as anyone, but he’ll need better blocking to realize that potential. Cole Strange is still recovering from his season-ending injury in 2023 and the former first-round pick isn’t much to write home about even when he is healthy. Pulling off a Teven Jenkins trade will give this team some much-needed talent on the offensive line while allowing Strange and 2023 fourth-round pick Sidy Sow to battle for the other guard spot.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins must fortify their offensive line to protect their soon-to-be $50 million annual investment. Tua Tagovailoa should receive a similar contract to Jared Goff’s, firmly entrenching him as a franchise quarterback. However, he’ll struggle to survive a series of 17-game seasons behind this offensive line. With Robert Hunt now in Carolina, Miami could trade for Teven Jenkins and throw him right into that vacated starting position.
Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll is done, but his desire to win with the run game lives on in new head coach Mike Macdonald. A Teven Jenkins trade should help the young running back duo of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet reach their ceiling while also making life easier for Geno Smith. Seattle’s offensive line routinely made life difficult for the former Jet, and improved blocking could bring out his 2022 form.
Good question! One way of looking at it–for the "he holds onto the ball" crowd:
On throws taking less than 3 seconds, Geno was the 2nd most pressured QB in football last year. (1st was Cousins, who played half a season ofc). https://t.co/T40FB5p1HB
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) May 25, 2024
Main Photo: David Banks – USA Today Sports
