What Teven Jenkins' extension with the Chicago Bears could look like

Teven Jenkins' Current Contract

The Bears' former second round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft is entering into the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season unless an extension gets agreed upon in Chicago.

On his rookie deal, Jenkins is making just $1.8 million in base salary for the 2024 season which is incredibly low for one of the team's top offensive starters. Jenkins is also slated to have a $2.7 million cap hit for next season, the highest of his four years. His financial rankings among his position is currently 45th per Spotrac.

Offensive Guard Market

The offensive guard market has exploded this offseason in free agency with Robert Hunt, Damien Lewis, Jon Runyan, Jonah Jackson, Landon Dickerson, Graham Glasgow, and Kevin Dotson among the top players signing massive extensions.

Here's how those contracts turned out for those top players at the position:

Robert Hunt: 5-year, $100 million
Landon Dickerson: 4-year, $84 million
Damien Lewis: 4-year, $53 million
Jonah Jackson: 3-year, $51 million
Kevin Dotson: 3-year, $48 million
Jon Runyan: 3-year, $30 million
Graham Glasgow: 3-year, $20 million

As you can see, the market is clearly established outside of Hunt's mammoth deal he signed with the Carolina Panthers, which was rightfully paid. The majority of these players signed their new deal following at least their fourth season, which would also put the Bears ahead of the curve if they wish to extend Jenkins in the coming months.

Potential New Deal

To me, Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson's deal seems like the best starting point for Jenkins' team to begin negotiations. It seems like the fair average per year on his new deal will be somewhere around $16-17 million annually.

The Bears will also have incentive to get this deal done sooner than later considering the franchise tag on Jenkins will be over $20 million for the 2025 season. By comparison, Chris Lindstrom has the highest per year average at $20.5 million.

I believe Jenkins will land somewhere in the range of a 3-year, $50 million extension with the Bears. The front office will likely keep the deal short but will also look to pay him what he's proven to be worth on the field. Jackson got a $4.25 million signing bonus and $34 million guaranteed from the Rams, which will also be around his range.

Does He Deserve It?

The biggest thing with Jenkins' career so far as been his injury concern. On the field, Jenkins has been outstanding on the Bears' offensive line but he's missed a total of 20 games already in his first three seasons combined. However, in 2023, Jenkins allowed the fewest pressures among the starting five offensive linemen by a clear margin.

Over the past two seasons, Jenkins' ranked in the Top-15 in offensive grades among players at his position, including ranking third in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus. Jenkins' strong finish to the 2023 season should inspire some confidence into the Bears' front office to give him a contact offer he deserves going forward.