Bears offensive lineman take Pilates class together

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Some of the Chicago Bears offensive line is doing Pilates this offseason.

Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, and Ja'Tyre Carter were shown in a video doing a Pilates oblique exercise in an Instagram video.

Clearly the Bears' lineman recognize that core is critical follow the four tenets of Pilates . Two of which are lengthen and elongate.

Jenkins started taking Pilates well before the 2022 NFL season.

“I have no thought about my back,” Jenkins said of an injury that lingered in his rookie season. “I trust everything that goes into it, especially the Pilates part. Making my core strong. As soon as you have your core strong, all of that takes away from any back pain you might have."

Other Chicago athletes have used Pilates to great success. Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta used Pilates in part to reinvent himself after a rough tenure with the Baltimore Orioles. 

Arrieta began a stretch in 2015 that netted him a Cy Young, a World Series championship and two no-hitters after he began using Pilates regularly.

After one session, Arrieta told the instructor: "We need to train together. This is life-changing."

He ended up ordering a custom-built reformer for Wrigley Field and turned his garage into a Pilates studio.

"It's an incredible experience," Arrieta says. "Pilates has been around a long time but maybe was taboo in this sport. I think it's only a matter of time before you see a reformer in every big league clubhouse."

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews followed Arrieta's lead, taking the 2016 NHL season.

Offensive line is an area many pundits have targeted for improvement in the offseason. The Bears have more cap space than any other NFL team and the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

It puts them in great position to improve the roster, and more importantly, protect Justin Fields.

Jones, an offensive tackle, was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2022. The fifth-round pick was tasked with starting and protecting Fields' blindside.

Jenkins moved inside and played guard, and thrived in the role. The season started with a platoon of players, including Jenkins, at right guard. By Week 4, Jenkins had claimed the starting right guard role and continued to improve over the course of the season.

But the Bears could still look to address left guard, center and a tackle spot in free agency or the draft. They've been tied to San Francisco 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey.

Several mock drafts, including from our own Glynn Morgan, have the Bears selecting an offensive tackle with their first-round pick.

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