NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Jordan Love

Bears

Bears OL Teven Jenkins recalled OL coach Chris Morgan informing him during training camp that they wanted to move him from tackle to right guard. 

“Well, tomorrow, we’re going to take a look at you at guard,” Jenkins said, via Adam Jahns of The Athletic. “So be ready to brush up on your stuff at guard.”

Morgan said that Jenkins responded well to their request of moving positions. 

“He took it well and we went with it,” Morgan said. “The rest is history.”

Jenkins described that he prepared himself mentally to face larger defenders on the interior line and feels it was his best chance to get playing time. 

“I’m thinking about practice the next day (and) that I got to get ready for these bigger bodies in the interior and get my mind right for that and quicker action, basically,” Jenkins said. “I would not say it was probably my last stand here. But I would say, it was probably my best chance of being on the field. So that sparked something inside.”

Lions

• Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson on his return to Detroit and what he told Lions HC Dan Campbell following his trade: “When I got the (trade) call from Coach Campbell and the GM, it was like, ‘All right, cool. Sounds cool. I appreciate you guys. Thank you for teaching me some things and for the opportunity. I wish you guys nothing but the best.’ So it was truly a good experience. There’s nothing bad I can say about it.” (Chris Tomasson)
• Campbell said Hockenson has done well with the Vikings but feels that their players at the position are stepping up: “He’s been a steady player for them. We knew we were gonna lose some production, he was a good player, but I do feel like our guys have stepped up… to do this you had to feel OK about spreading the load through the rest of the group.” (Eric Woodyard)

Packers

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst made a rare in-season appearance with the media and discussed the progress they feel like they’ve seen from former first-round QB Jordan Love.

“We’ve seen him for three years in practice and doing the things that he’s doing. There was a stretch here while Aaron’s been banged up where (Love) has had a lot of reps with the 1s, which was great for him,” Gutekunst said via the Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. “I think it was great for us to see, but it was also just really, really good for him to experience game planning each week. I think quarterbacks gotta get into this league, play a bunch of games before they learn how to win, but I do think we feel very confident that Jordan can move the ball, score points and do the things that we ask of our quarterbacks.”

Green Bay will need to make a decision on Love’s fifth-year option by this May, which would guarantee him a significant chunk of money in 2024. The challenge is QB Aaron Rodgers is still under contract for a significant sum that year. Gutekunst implied Green Bay already knows which way it’s leaning for Love without tipping his hand, and they don’t need to see him more down the stretch this season to evaluate. 

“We’re really pleased with his progression and what he’s been able to do,” Gutekunst said. “I think that it would be really good for him (to play more in the regular season), you know, the growth that you need to go through, seeing things for the first time, making those mistakes that you need to make. But I think from our end of it, we’ve seen what we need to see.”