The Chicago Bears’ coaching change was historic on many levels. Most notably, it was the first time a coach was fired during the season. However, it was also still the same old story for the Bears, who have cycled through five head coaches since their last playoff win and eight since they won the Super Bowl following the 1985 season.
That was long before Bears guard Teven Jenkins’ time.
Still, the former No. 39 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft is on his third head coach in his three-plus seasons in the NFL. It would be understandable if all the turnover weighed on him. Instead, he expressed optimistic resolve.
Teven Jenkins Gets Honest About Faith in Bears Amid HC Search
Thomas Brown Gets Vote of Confidence for Bears HC Job From Teven Jenkins
“At a certain point, we want to get in the group where we’re a wanted team that you don’t have to keep on interchanging,” Jenkins told Clocker Sports after practice on Wednesday. “Hopefully, we can land on Thomas and we can keep that going forward instead of having all this – intermittent change every year.”
Jenkins said that he “loves” Eberflus, perhaps giving further insight into how it could have possibly taken the front office to come to grips with their final decision on the third-year head coach.
It is a notable time for him with free agency on the horizon.
Jenkins has battled injuries throughout his career, and this season has been no different. A new head coach could mean further tweaking to the roster in the offseason.
Darnell Wright Did Not Think About HC Change
Jenkins’ fellow lineman, second-year right tackle Darnell Wright, is already on his second head coach and his third offensive coordinator with Chris Beatty stepping in as Thomas Brown takes over for Eberflus.
Wright said he did not even pay too much attention to the move when it happened.
“I don’t know, I didn’t even think about it much,” Wright told Clocker Sports. “I just be trying to focus on what I can focus on. That’s about it.”
Wright is in the middle of an up-and-down season, both from a performance and health standpoint. But he is trending in the right direction as the season moves forward, and a lot of it has to do with veteran Matt Pryor solidifying the right guard spot.
It was supposed to be Nate Davis next to Wright.
But the Bears cut him due to a lack of availability during his year-plus tenure, and potential replacement Ryan Bates has battled injuries too, leaving Pryor to step in and up.
“There’s been some changes there a little bit. But I think me and Matt, we’ve been doing good. He’s been helping me a lot, doing good, just trying to get better each week,” Wright admitted. “I wouldn’t be sure [about] what one thing. He helps a lot just each week. We just kind of go through … plan of attack and stuff like that, so it’s been good.”
Cohesion is essential along the offensive line. It sounds like the Bears are building it.
Gerald Everett Speaks on What Went Wrong With Shane Waldron
Clocker Sports spoke with tight end Gerald Everett earlier this season as the Bears were trying to sort through their offensive issues under Waldron. At the time, Everett spoke highly of the OC, whom he has known his entire NFL career.
Everett continued that while discussing what went wrong enough that Waldron became the first OC fired during the season.
In a word: everything.
“I think with injuries and just the way the game unfolds week in and week out – personnel, scheme – it just didn’t fall in our favor. And we can’t solely put the blame on Shane for that. But Shane and I have a good relationship, and I spoke to him since he’s left,” Everett told Clocker Sports on Wednesday.
“Obviously, all the best to him and wish he finds a good home that he can pick up his pieces and get back rolling. But just really our failures in the previous games just came down to just not getting it done, really. Can’t really pinpoint of reason. “
Since stepping in for Eberflus, Brown has pushed for a more unified locker room, one that keeps things in-house.
The Bears are circling the wagons.
“It’s just really all about us,” Everett said. “Obviously, the game didn’t go the way we planned; last couple games didn’t go the way we planned. So, obviously, the outside noise is not going to be in our favor. So really just banding together as teammates, as brothers, and keep it going forward one step at a time.”