The Chicago Bears have tried to settle their offensive line issues since GM Ryan Poles took over. Their efforts to this point can best be called a mixed bag. Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright look like keepers at offensive tackle. Unfortunately, the same can’t said for their interior spots. Teven Jenkins has been plagued by health issues since arriving in 2023. Coleman Shelton didn’t have the best debut at center last week. Nate Davis also has health problems and suffers from inconsistency. It was one of the big reasons GM Ryan Poles traded for veteran Ryan Bates from Buffalo.
He had considerable starting experience at right guard and could offer quality insurance if Davis’ problems continued. Sadly, that plan is out the window now. Chicago announced on Saturday that Bates is going on Injured Reserve with shoulder and elbow injuries.
The Chicago Bears are basically stuck with Davis.
They had hoped to continue a rotation this week between him and Bates to see which might secure the job. Obviously, those plans are on hold for the next four weeks. It isn’t a surprise things went this way. Shoulder injuries are always problematic for offensive linemen. They can linger for weeks or even months. Add an elbow problem on top of that, and IR was probably the only option. This should give Bates time to let both ailments heal rather than risk aggravating them with ongoing physical play in the trenches.
With him out, the Chicago Bears only have one option. They must roll the dice with Davis. For all his problems, he is now the unquestioned best choice on the roster for right guard. Matt Pryor and Bill Murry had solid preseason performances, but neither is close to his physical capability. They could look to add somebody on the free agent market, though finding a possible starter this time of year is almost impossible.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
If you watch Swifty’s video he shows that Jenkins stepped on Shelton’s foot so Shelton was not exactly pancaked due to weakness. What you’re seeing is lack of sharpness by all 3 interior linemen. This is eerily similar to last year under Getsy. At this point Jenkins and Davis are pretty well known quantities. Jenkins is a top run blocker but a streaky pass blocker. Davis has the talent to be an upper half of the NFL Right Guard but he doesn’t seem to “own” up to all the duties. Davis will chip a DT and “go look for work… Read more »
Look, Poles said this was the deepest OL he’s ever been around. Now, all we can do is hope he’s right. Fingers crossed.
Now let’s turn this negative into a positive. This is Davis’s time to shine, show his true value to the Bears, make-up for the last game, and restore Poles’s credibility when it comes to the OL. Bears need Shelton and even Teven to improve for this game. We will now see just how good our OTs are against DEs Hunter and Anderson with or without help from the TEs. As they used to say on Cloud Nine: it’s time to get real.
Teven Jenkins was drafted by Pace in 2021. Not 2023. Just to clarify
TGena Told Ya