Report: Chicago Bears player fell out of favor with coaching staff

Teven Jenkins missed his sixth straight practice for the Chicago Bears

A new report undermines Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus’s comments regarding offensive tackle Teven Jenkins earlier Wednesday. Eberflus addressed the media following Wednesday’s practice. Jenkins was not practicing. Eberflus suggested the absence was injury-related and Jenkins would be back.

Matt Eberflus says Teven Jenkins has been in the building working with trainers.

Asked if Jenkins’ absence from practice is 100 percent injury related, Eberflus said: “Yeah.”

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 3, 2022

#Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said OT Teven Jenkins “is working with the trainers and he’ll be back when he’s back.”

Eberflus says Jenkins has been in the building “to work with the trainers.”

— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) August 3, 2022

Eberflus’s comments were vague but seemed to indicate the Bears and Jenkins were on good terms. Jenkins Tweeted Tuesday that the Bears fans shouldn’t believe everything they read. Reports recently have come out that Jenkins and the Bears coaching staff are disconnected and the team wants to trade him.

But hours later, Peggy Kusinski with ESPN Radio Tweeted something that suggested Eberflus’s comments were not 100 percent honest. The Bears are actively trying to trade the second-year tackle, according to Kusinski.

#NFL source confirms #ChicagoBears actively trying to trade OL @TevenJenkins who fell out of favor early w/new staff. Contrary to HC Eberflus saying Jenkins absence is 100% injury related … Jenkins is at the facility working with trainers but missed 6th straight practice

— Peggy Kusinski (@peggykusinski) August 3, 2022

The Chicago Bears need to be more transparent

The Bears need to trade Jenkins soon if they are done with him. Giving vague comments while rumors get leaked to the media is a bad look for the Bears and Jenkins. If Jenkins is out due to an injury, the Bears need to release a more specific update on his status.

Right now it looks like the Bears are hanging out Jenkins out to dry. Being mum on his status is making Jenkins look like a pariah to fans on social media. This isn’t a good way to make your roster look to future free agents. David Kaplan was correct in last week’s report that the Bears need to fix their culture and player relations.