Bears RG Jenkins dealing with hip strain, could miss Sunday's game
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 prior to 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 on Friday afternoon.
"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 that 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 would likely 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 was initially 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.