Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus says Teven Jenkins’ situation remains ‘encouraging’

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said right guard Teven Jenkins was released from the hospital Sunday. Eberflus said updates continue to be “encouraging” after Jenkins was carted off the field during Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field with a neck injury.

“I don’t really have much of an update from there, but it is encouraging for him,” Eberflus said Monday afternoon at Halas Hall. “We’ll see where he is later today. He is seeing a couple of specialists just to double-check and cross-check everything. We’ll see later today.”

Eberflus declined to say anything about the nature of Jenkins’ neck injury.

“I don’t have the detail there yet,” Eberflus said. “I should be able to give it to you here shortly, but I don’t have the detail yet.”

Jenkins fell to the grass in pain during the first quarter of Sunday’s game. Play stopped for several minutes as the Bears’ medical staff attended to the 24-year-old offensive lineman.

His teammates and coaches left the bench and stood alongside Jenkins as the training staff loaded him onto a backboard and carted him off the field. It was a sobering moment only minutes after the game started.

It remains unclear whether Jenkins will play again this season.

Jenkins, a second-round draft pick in 2021, has become one of the team’s best offensive linemen. He found a home at the right guard position after struggling to find a spot under Eberflus and the new coaching staff during the summer.

The Bears moved him to right guard experimentally during training camp, and he quickly shot up the depth chart.

Other injury updates: Linebacker Jack Sanborn injured his ankle in Sunday’s game. Eberflus indicated that Sanborn would try to practice on his injured ankle this week and see how it reacts.

Eberflus said that running back Khalil Herbert has been cleared and will return to practice this week. Herbert injured his hip in a Nov. 13 contest against the Detroit Lions. He had emerged as a dangerous change-of-pace back playing alongside starting running back David Montgomery before the injury.

Herbert’s imminent return should give the offense another weapon. He has rushed for 643 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games this season. He is averaging 6 yards per carry.

Additionally, Eberflus is hopeful that his offense will have receivers Chase Claypool (knee) and N’Keal Harry (back) ready to suit up this week against Buffalo. The Bears were thin at the receiver position without them Sunday.

“They’re not even the backup, but the backup to the backup,” Eberflus said of some of the receivers who had an opportunity Sunday. “And that happens. That’s happened to us a couple of times. But the guys got to play. And it’s a great time to evaluate them and see what they can do.”

Fields’ cramps: Quarterback Justin Fields left the game briefly during the second half with an apparent injury. He later revealed he was dealing with cramps. He left the game on a key third down when it was still a four-point game. Backup Nathan Peterman stepped in for the play.

It was, obviously, not an ideal situation.

Fields went back to the locker room and used an IV to get more fluids into his system. He said Sunday that he plans to do that before every game. The QB also dealt with cramps a few weeks ago in Atlanta.

“He’s just got to be mindful of it and come up with a plan that works for him,” Eberflus said. “His body is different than everybody else’s body, and it’s also the conditions. The conditions are different. Sometimes, it’s hot. Sometimes, it’s cold. The weather was pretty cold yesterday, so let us come up with a good plan.”