3 things we learned at Chicago Bears minicamp, including Teven Jenkins embracing another position switch and building durability

The Chicago Bears held their second practice of mandatory minicamp Wednesday at Halas Hall, emphasizing third-down work.

After practice, coach Matt Eberflus, defensive end DeMarcus Walker, tight end Robert Tonyan and left guard Teven Jenkins spoke with the media. Along with Walker’s take on his fit with the Bears, here are three things we learned.

1. Along with switching positions, Teven Jenkins is focused on building durability.

Jenkins received the call from offensive line coach Chris Morgan about five minutes after the Bears signed free-agent right guard Nate Davis in March. The Bears were going to move Jenkins to left guard, his second position switch in a year after they moved him from tackle to right guard in 2022.

Jenkins, 25, embraced the opportunity to improve his craft at a single position, and he got to work on making the switch before the team met for OTAs.

“It gave me time to actually work on my footwork and my mentality,” Jenkins said. “I got back in my playbook. Had to flip because certain plays are going this way and now they have to go this way. My whole mindset had to change. So it was very good to have that time in between.”

Jenkins’ other major focus this offseason has been working to prevent injuries after he battled through multiple issues, including with his back, hip and neck, in his first two seasons. Jenkins said he is doing Pilates on his own and working with the Bears strength coach.

“Basically lengthening and strengthening muscles and working on all the small muscles that you never think about,” Jenkins said. “I’m doing those muscles around the spine that make it a lot stronger so those things don’t flare up.”

Eberflus said it’s part of an offseason theme of “mind, body and spirit.”

“It’s all about being a pro and taking care of your body,” Eberflus said. “What you put into your body and how you take care of it is going to really be good for your health.”

2. Former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan appreciated Justin Jones’ fire when it comes to the Bears-Packers rivalry.

Jones, the veteran defensive lineman in his second season with the Bears, added some fodder to the rivalry Tuesday when he called Packers fans “s-----” and said “half of them don’t even know football.”

Tonyan, who is from McHenry, spent his last five seasons in Green Bay. He laughed off the comments, saying players could say similar things about almost any fan base.

“I think JJ is a little opinionated on that,” Tonyan said. “I like that. I like that fire in him. But I mean, you can say just about anything about any fan base. But this rivalry is huge. It’s one of the strongest in the NFL, so there’s obviously going to be that banter for sure.”

Tonyan then was asked if he noticed Packers fans being particularly rowdy.

“Honestly, whatever stadium I went to I felt like that was the case,” he said. “Fans are wild, especially when they’ve had a couple of drinks.”

As for Jones’ assertion that the Bears could be the rising team in the NFC North, Tonyan believes the division is open for the taking.

“It’s wide-open,” Tonyan said. “That’s the best part. Everyone is young. Everyone is new. You have good players on every team. … There is no favorite.”

3. Tonyan called Justin Fields ‘an impressive young player.’

Tonyan is getting used to playing with a starting quarterback other than Aaron Rodgers for the first time in years, and he has liked how Fields operates.

“Obviously a great athlete, but he is very competitive and self-reflective and he knows when he could be better,” Tonyan said. “So when you have a competitive person who is internally motivated and a leader like he is and he’s continuing to grow, I’m very impressed with him and he’s only going to continue to grow and get better.”

Because of Tonyan’s previous work with Luke Getsy and an offense similar to what Getsy runs, the tight end has accepted that he needs to be on top of the details so he can help the younger players learn. But he said OTAs also have been about developing relationships with Fields and his other new teammates. Tonyan starts by being “a genuine person” and understanding that teams don’t build chemistry by players sitting in the locker room on their phones.

“I like talking to people, getting to know people,” Tonyan said. “Just team bonding activities. That’s what OTAs really are here for. You’re going to learn offense and you’re going to figure stuff out and you’re going to compete, but what OTAs really are is to have that down time and close time with those players that you don’t get during the season because the season’s long and grueling. … That’s what Coach Flus has been big on. Trying to get people to know each other, trust each other, love each other and then you’ll go that extra mile for your brother.”