It was three months late, but the Bears finally got second-round pick Teven Jenkins on the field. Jenkins, the presumptive left tackle of the future, made his pro debut on special teams and did not get a snap on offense.
His return from preseason back surgery presents a decision for the Bears, who must weigh whether to stay with veteran Jason Peters at left tackle. Peters has been solid for them, but is 39. Jenkins might not be at Peters’ level now, but the Bears need to kick start his development as soon as possible with an eye on next season.
Bears coach Matt Nagy said Jenkins “most likely” will remain a backup the rest of the season, but left open the possibility of changing course.
“Just getting him into the groove, just getting him up active is good,” Nagy said. “J.P.’s been doing a good job there at left tackle. I love Teven’s attitude. We’ll just kind of take it day-by-day and see. But in the end I know we’ll make the best decision for him and us.”
