Teven Jenkins Enjoying Monster Season Doing Whatever's Asked

The Bears haven't even resolved the contract situations of Darnell Mooney and Jaylon Johnson, yet.

It's still not too early to talk about that lurking shadow on the horizon cast by the monster they have created.

This would be one Teven Jenkins. He'll be due a contract extension before the end of 2024 and it's complicated.

At first GM Ryan Poles attempted to trade him, moved him to right guard, acquired Nate Davis and moved him to left guard, then moved him back to right guard when Davis suffered an ankle injury.

All Jenkins has done is improve and flatten defensive players. He is producing more pancakes than IHOP.

"There's not many feelings out there in the world; it's hard to describe it," Jenkins said of all his pancake blocks. "Just being able to push somebody around and put all your weight on top of him and impose your will on him. That's the best words you can get close to it. You can only do it and have that feeling when you do it."

He keeps doing this. Now back at right guard, he has a Pro Football Focus grade of 78.1 which puts him fourth in the NFL among all guards.

"I would say I do feel like I'm in a groove," Jenkins said. "I'm starting to get more comfortable where I'm at and starting to play next to Darnell (Wright), so understanding what he wants and what he needs and playing off each other."

Two young players on the right side of the line dominating opponents means they can run the ball at will. Jenkins likes the thought of playing alongside Wright.

"He's very aggressive," Jenkins said. "He plays the game very good. I like the way he plays solid. He's very athletic, very communicative with me.

"It's a privilege to just even play next to him."

The calf injuries that sidelined Jenkins in the first four weeks are in the past.

"Just being able to use that calf again and being able to push off and use that power, it's been feeling good," Jenkins said.

It would not be easy to simply put Jenkins back to left guard when he has been so effective at right guard now, and also last year when he played the position. Yet, it would appear the Bears would do this.

"I feel like I'm getting my steps down right, hand placement's good, rolling people off the ball," Jenkins said. "I'm just moving people A to B. Just stuff, that('s) how I want to play showing up."

When Rams guard Kevin Dotson, Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom and Cowboys guard Tyler Smith are the only ones graded higher at either guard position in the league, it says Jenkins seems well suited to the right guard position.

They signed Davis for the right guard position and determined in the offseason it would be easier and more vital for Jenkins to play left guard. Davis is graded 54th among guards and it would seem they'll put him back at right guard and move the fourth-graded right guard to left guard, where he was a little less effective.

When he played left guard this year he had a high grade against Washington and poor mark against Minnesota, but the entire line had a rough day against the Vikings.

Jenkins will simply move and do his job without causing problems.

"I wouldn't say it's easy," Jenkins said. "A lot of people do it in the league. Just be able to do it at a high level, that's the challenging part. I just like to play freely.

"That's the thing that's been stopping me, really. It's been trying to think too much and stop trusting myself, you know? Once I got out of my own head, I started to play better."

So when Jenkins is told to move back, he has an approach in mind.

"Just keep on playing freely," he said. "For me, not being in my head and being able to be out there, trying to make it the most comfortable I can."

While Jenkins moves positions and does what the Bears say, he realizes what he's been doing compared to other guards in the league with the PFF grades.

"It gets brought to my attention," he said. "I just try to come into the building and be the same guy I am day-in, day-out. I mean, I appreciate all the love that I'm getting from everybody. But I try to stay level headed and not get too big headed about anything."

There's plenty of time for something else big in the future—a stack of cash—whether Poles decides to pay him or not.