Bears' Justin Fields 'Loved' Teven Jenkins 'Sticking Up for' Him vs. Vikings

Teven Jenkins didn't have a great night in the Chicago Bears' 17-9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but Justin Fields appreciated one thing the offensive lineman did do. 

Speaking to reporters after the game, Fields explained he "loved" Jenkins sticking up for him after a Vikings player shoved the rookie quarterback out of bounds. 

"I told him I liked what he did there and I appreciate him," Fields said. "At the same time, he’s got to be smart. But I loved the mindset and I loved him sticking up for me. I think that’s what I think we need more of. I told him I love it but just do it between the whistle."

Jenkins was flagged for unnecessary roughness, putting the Bears in a 2nd-and-22. They did pick up 13 yards on their next two plays, but they were forced to punt the ball away. 

The 23-year-old Jenkins was called for three penalties during the game. 

At the time of the unnecessary roughness call, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune noted Jenkins had been flagged for seven penalties in his past seven quarters played. 

Jenkins made his first career start on Monday. The 23-year-old was selected with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He didn't appear in a game until Week 13 when he played two snaps on special teams against the Arizona Cardinals. 

When Jason Peters suffered a sprained ankle last week against the Green Bay Packers, Jenkins stepped in to play left tackle for the remainder of the game. 

Even though Jenkins clearly has a lot of fundamental things to work on before being a viable NFL player, at least he appears to have ingratiated himself as a teammate willing to protect his guys based on his reaction to the Fields situation.