Bears’ offensive line ranked among NFL’s worst after Week 1 vs. Rams

The Chicago Bears offensive line is a problem. It’s been a problem since rookie Teven Jenkins’ back injury kept him out of offseason activities, training camp, the preseason, and now for several weeks (at least) of the regular season.

The Bears’ decision to release veteran starter Charles Leno Jr. shortly after selecting Jenkins left them vulnerable at one of the game’s most important positions and forced the signing of 39-year-old Jason Peters, who couldn’t escape four quarters injury-free in Week 1.

The rest of the Bears’ starters are incumbents who ended 2020 with the first team: Germain Ifedi (RT); James Daniels (RG); Sam Mustipher (C); and Cody Whitehair (LG). Normally, cohesion is a good thing. It’s arguably more important than high-end talent upfront. The offensive line must work together on every play, so the longer the five starters have been together, usually the better the results.

That wasn’t the case Sunday night against the Rams, however. The Bears’ offensive line finished the week ranked 30th among the league’s offensive lines, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Few teams have seen their offensive line prospects plummet quite like Chicago,” wrote PFF’s Sam Monson. “The Bears voluntarily cut a capable starting left tackle in Charles Leno Jr. to save cap space and then lost rookie Tevin Jenkins to injury. Signing Jason Peters was a gamble to try and limit the damage, and while Peters did a reasonable job against the Rams on Sunday night, he has already picked up an injury. It doesn’t get much tougher than the Rams’ defensive line, but Chicago’s starting five could be in trouble.”

To make matters worse, promising rookie left tackle Larry Borom exited Week 1 with an ankle injury, leaving Chicago down to its third-string option — Elijah Wilkinson — as the likely starter.

It would be unfair to blame the offensive line’s struggles solely on one position, though. Again, four of the five starters are back, and if this group remains among the NFL’s worst, then GM Ryan Pace is the one who’s culpable.

Pace had an entire offseason to upgrade this group, and while he did take an aggressive swing in the second round with the Jenkins selection, he also drafted damaged goods. Jenkins entered the draft with a pre-existing back injury; his unavailability to start the year was in the range of expected outcomes.

Maybe this group will come together over the next few weeks and play above expectations. Even an average year from the starters will provide an offense suddenly full of quality skill players with a chance to emerge as a shockingly productive one.

But if the offensive line fails, so will the Bears’ 2021 season.