Bears

Chicago Bears injury updates: RG Teven Jenkins has been dealing with hip strain for weeks

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Teven Jenkins stretches before the Bears take on the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Aug. 13, 2022, at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Bears beat the Kansas City Chiefs 19-14.

LAKE FOREST – Bears right guard Teven Jenkins has been dealing with a hip strain for most of the season, he said Friday. The injury forced Jenkins to miss last week’s game against Detroit, and it has him listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Atlanta.

Jenkins said the injury happened before Week 1 and has been lingering on and off all season. It flared up in the Oct. 30 game at Dallas.

After sitting out against Detroit last week, Jenkins missed two days of practice this week but did return to full participation Friday.

“It’s going take a little bit more to get back into it, to get back used to all my football moves and everything,” Jenkins said after practice Friday at Halas Hall. “It’s just something I can manage.”

Jenkins is optimistic he can play this week, but it will come down to a decision between him, the training staff and the coaching staff. Head coach Matt Eberflus said the team will have to see how Jenkins is feeling over the next 48 hours.

If Jenkins doesn’t play, veteran guard Michael Schofield likely would start at right guard in place of him. Schofield started at right guard last week and started at left guard earlier in the season when Cody Whitehair missed time with a knee injury.

Jenkins has emerged as a solid starting right guard for the Bears after he initially was buried on the bench at right tackle during training camp. The 2021 second-round draft pick switched to right guard midway through camp and soared up the depth chart. He has started seven games at right guard this season.

Elsewhere on the injury front, receiver N’Keal Harry (illness) and safety/special teamer Dane Cruikshank (hamstring) have been ruled out for Sunday’s game in Atlanta. Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (knee) and cornerback Kindle Vildor (ankle) are questionable, but both were full participants in practice Friday.

Tight end Cole Kmet, cornerback Kyler Gordon and running back David Montgomery, who all missed practice at times this week, hold no injury designations and are expected to play.

Sean Hammond

Sean Hammond

Sean is the Chicago Bears beat reporter for the Shaw Local News Network. He has covered the Bears since 2020. Prior to writing about the Bears, he covered high school sports for the Northwest Herald and contributed to Friday Night Drive. Sean joined Shaw Media in 2016.