Bears Veteran's Extension Request Seemingly Turned Down by Chicago

The Chicago Bears were particularly active this offseason to upgrade their roster on the offensive side of the ball. The acquisitions of Keenan Allen and D'Andre Swift, as well as the drafting of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze understandably received a lot of attention but the Bears will also be relying on a few key players returning for another season.

One of those players is offensive lineman Teven Jenkins. Now entering his fourth season with the Bears, Jenkins has been a crucial piece for the offensive line, with his ability to play both right and left guard, after playing tackle his rookie season. His versatility and skill set will continue to be big for the Bears' revamped offensive unit.

Jenkins is also entering a contract year and the former Oklahoma State standout is hoping for an extension, especially with interior offensive linemen around the NFL landing massive extensions this summer. However, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN, there is no progress on that front between the Bears and Jenkins.

Bears News: Teven Jenkins and Chicago Made No Progress On Extension

Reportedly, Jenkins' representation reached out to the front office about a contract extension but Chicago wasn't interested yet. This is rather surprising as Jenkins has been the Bears' best offensive lineman over the past two years. There are concerns about his availability as he missed nine games in that span, so perhaps that is what GM Ryan Poles is worried about. But, waiting another year carries its own risks and could end up costing the Bears more next offseason.

The Bears will likely want to keep the 26-year-old with a long-term contract extension and there is no doubt that those negotiations will happen at some point. Let's hope that Chicago doesn't regret not moving early.

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