Playing in the NFL is serious business these days. If you want to hang around long enough to cash in on a second contract and put together a meaningful career, you have to put in the time and effort to keep your body in peak form. Even throughout the offseason.
Any weight gained can be enough to slow you down — which, for an offensive lineman, can mean being that split-second late on a pull block or when setting the edge. And that can often result in the play getting blown up in the backfield.
Teven Jenkins learned this in 2021, when he gained 25 pounds while recovering from a back injury. The Chicago Bears offensive tackle, whom the team drafted in the second-round last year, returned to the field in December weighing 345 pounds…
And it showed!
Jenkins took seven penalties and allowed two sacks, despite playing only 160 snaps (117 of which were pass-blocking snaps). But with the new regime in Chicago looking for a “faster,” more “up tempo” approach from their linemen, Jenkins’ added weight just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. If he wanted to stick around and have an impact with this young Bears team, he was going to have to slim down.
So, this offseason, he recommitted himself to getting back into shape. And the result is 20 fewer pounds of fat on his frame. Here’s what he told ChicagoBears.com:
“I’m down to 325. Last season I was up to 345,” he said. “I believe at the end of last season I was 33 percent body fat. Now, I’m down to about 24. Slimming down is difficult, but you’ve got to be disciplined in yourself to make sure that you stay on the right diet and make sure your body does what it’s supposed to do.”
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What’s his secret, you ask? No more carbs at dinner and cutting out the booze:
“There are a lot of things you have to cut out,” he said. “At dinner, I try to cut out carbs. You know how hard it is to cut out mac ‘n’ cheese, rice—it’s a perfect go-to when you’re going with a meal. You’ve got to cut that out, so it’s mostly protein and vegetables.
“And I’ve been trying to cut out some more alcohol out of my system. I’m trying to get more cleansed out, I guess. And also that does help with your body fat. Instead of drinking all that beer, all that fat just sits on you, so you burn it off.”
Jenkins also claims he’s been doing pilates, and the increased core strength has helped him put his back issues behind him.
This is all great news for Justin Fields. And trust me, he’s going to need all the help he can get in his sophomore season, after the Bears’ front office failed to add any significant pieces to the offense this offseason.
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