Malcolm Jenkins Finally Feels Appreciated With Eagles
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- They didn't even ask him to stay. Now, his new team is paying him too.
"From the [New Orleans Saints'] fan base, I still get a lot of love and respect," Malcolm Jenkins told the 94WIP Morning Show on his time with the Saints. "But when that contract ended [after the 2013 season], there were no conversations, there was no negotiation about the future. It was just kind of like, 'It's over, thank you. Good luck.'"
Jenkins, 28, spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Saints, helping them win Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. For whatever reasons, he was expendable to the Saints.
Listen: Malcolm Jenkins on the 94WIP Morning Show
32 games, 189 tackles, five forced fumbles, five interceptions, and one Pro Bowl later, Jenkins -- now the leader of the Philadelphia Eagles' defense -- signed a contract extension on Monday, keeping him in Philadelphia through 2020.
"It feels awesome," Jenkins said of the extension, reportedly worth an additional $35 million ($21 million guaranteed). "To know that I'm gonna be here in Philly for a little while longer and potentially end my career here is awesome.
"Obviously coming here was bitter-sweet," he continued. "I know that breakup [in New Orleans] was a little rough, you know it's been great since I've been here. I've had the best two seasons of my career, I've been the healthiest as I've ever been, the fan base has been awesome to me. And obviously being closer to home, being here in Philly, it's just been great. And so to be able to go into a situation with a team that now expressed that want and value in you as a player, and they want to lock you up and build around, that's huge to a player like me. More so than other dollar amount."
Jenkins, a 2009 first-round pick out of Ohio State University, was originally signed to a three-year deal by the Eagles during the 2014 offseason. Howie Roseman was the team's general manager at the time, Chip Kelly was the head coach, and Billy Davis was the defensive coordinator.
Davis' 3-4 takeaway oriented defense, which certainly had its question marks, helped Jenkins thrive.
"I've obviously been blessed since I've come to Philly to play in a defense over the last two years with Billy Davis at the helm that allows me to kind of do what my skill set provides," Jenkins said. "And just do what I do what I do best has been awesome. And although it didn't work out [in New Orleans], it worked out for the best for me just to get in the new situation. Get in a new team, kind of get that fresh start, and get into a staff that really valued my skill set and really exploited it and used it the right way."
This past season -- the best of Jenkins' career -- the Eagles struggled. Kelly, who Jenkins had previously defended often, was fired after the team fell to 6-9.
"I think in the latter stages [of the season], it was just one of those things where I think everybody knew there was issues -- whether it'd be the offense or defense -- and we were looking for something to change," Jenkins admitted. "Nothing did. It was status quo the whole year. We tried to make small adjustments here or there, but I think toward the end of the season I think guys really started to get frustrated with the fact that things weren't being changed. We were fighting for our lives, fighting to get into the playoffs, but we were still doing the same stuff and going about it the same way. I think guys, eventually, you just kinda close your mouth and just ride the ship until it crashes basically."
