LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Offensive guard Teven Jenkins has made his desires clear.
The fourth-year guard wants to stay in Chicago for as long as the Bears will have him. Jenkins is entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract and is looking for a long-term extension.
During the offseason program, Jenkins told the media that his representation reached out to the Bears to start contract talks but they did not engage. Jenkins said things were "up in the air" as of June.
The Bears opened training camp Saturday, and Jenkins gave a brief update on his contract talks with general manager Ryan Poles and the front office.
"Last I was told, I’ve gotta wait until after the bye week to reconvene about it," Jenkins said Monday.
The Bears will take their bye week in Week 7 after their Week 6 trip to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Jenkins understands the important role this season will play in determining his NFL future. He wants to remain a Bear, but the Bears want to see if he can stay healthy for the majority of the season before offering him a lucrative deal.
Jenkins said he has doubled the amount of money he spends on his body this season, which includes a chef, a personal physical therapist, and a massage therapist.
The Oklahoma State product trained with Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz and was happy to see him sign a four-year, $80 million extension with the Broncos.
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"Love to see him get paid. I'm really excited for him," Jenkins said. "It's good overall for the guard market."
That's the type of payday Jenkins hopes will await him after this season ends. But he knows he has a lot of hurdles to clear and boxes to check before that vision becomes a reality.
The first step is to get to the Week 7 bye healthy and playing at the elite level the Bears believe he's capable of consistently reaching.
