Teven Jenkins returns to Cleveland, bringing crucial depth and versatility to a reshaped offensive line facing significant offseason changes
Bolstering the offensive line has been the common theme of the Cleveland Browns for the first two days of the NFL's legal tampering period.
After inking a deal with Los Angeles Chargers free agent guard Zion Johnson on Monday, the Browns retained an interior offensive lineman of their own on Tuesday, re-signing five-year veteran Teven Jenkins.
Jenkins played in all 17 games for the Browns last season in various roles across the offensive line, but primarily played right guard, where he made four starts. The 28-year-old began the season as the top reserve interior o-lineman on the roster, with Wyatt Teller holding down the starting right guard spot.
Ahead of a Week 13 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, then head coach Kevin Stefanski decided to start rotating Jenkins and Teller throughout the game. Teller wound up leaving that contest due to injury, though, paving the way for Jenkins to start each of the next three games on his own. His fourth and final start came in Week 18.
On top of playing right guard, Jenkins also filled in at left guard and right tackle in a pinch. Before coming to Cleveland in 2025, Jenkins spend the first four years of his career with the Chicago Bears, who originally selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State.
Through the first five years of his career, he's appeared in 62 career games and made 42 total starts. Jenkins returns to the Browns in the midst of a makeover along the offensive line.
Long-time starters like Teller, Jack Conklin and Ethan Pocic are all scheduled to be free agents when the new league year begins on Wednesday. Same goes for the team's longest-tendered player Joel Bitonio, who is contemplating retirement.
Jenkins is now part of Cleveland's o-line plan for at least in the short term, providing some much-needed depth and versatility in the trenches. Whether or not he fits into the picture as a starter remains to be seen.
The Browns are also expected to add Johnson when the new league year opens, via a three-year, $49.5 million deal. Their trade with the Houston Texans for right tackle Tytus Howard will also be completed at that time.
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