Malcolm Jenkins (born December 20, 1987) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
safety
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
for 13 seasons in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, ...
, earning consensus
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
honors, and winning the
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athle ...
as a senior. He was selected by the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
in the first round of the
2009 NFL draft and played for the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
from 2014 to 2019.
Early life
Jenkins grew up in
Piscataway, New Jersey
Piscataway ( ) is a Township (New Jersey), township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a suburb of the New York metropolitan area, in the Raritan River, Raritan Valley. As of the 2020 United ...
and played
high school football
High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...
at
Piscataway Township High School, where he helped lead his team to three consecutive state championships. He played both
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
and
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
for the Chiefs football team. He also excelled at
track, winning the state title in the
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is ...
as a junior.
Considered a three-star recruit by
Rivals.com, Jenkins was listed as No. 61 cornerback prospect in the nation in 2005.
College career
During his freshman season at
Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
, Jenkins spent most of his time in the
nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
position. He finished the season with 37
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position)
A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
in 10 games. In 2006, he started all 13 games at corner and was a consensus first-team
All-Big Ten. He finished 2006 with 55 tackles and four
interception
In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
s. As a junior in 2007 Jenkins recorded 47 tackles and four interceptions and was named a first-team
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n by ''
Pro Football Weekly
''Pro Football Weekly'' (sometimes shortened to ''PFW'') is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, and website that covers the National Football League (NFL). It was owned by Pro Football Weekly LLC and headquartered in Riverwoods, Illin ...
'' and a first-team All-Big Ten for the second consecutive year. As a senior in 2008 he won the
Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athle ...
, which is given to the nation's best defensive back, after recording 57 tackles and three interceptions.
Jenkins is a member of
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African-American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was founded on November 17, 1911 at Howard University. Omega Psi Phi is a founding member of ...
fraternity. He was vice president, stepmaster, and chaplain of the Ohio State chapter; he has two prominent fraternity
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...
s, one on his upper left arm and a second one on his chest.
Professional career
Pre-draft
Jenkins and
Vontae Davis were considered the top two defensive backs available in the
2009 NFL draft, and Jenkins drew comparisons to
Terence Newman
Terence Newman (born September 4, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, and Minnesota Vik ...
. After Jenkins ran a comparably slow
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
, some scouts considered him better suited for the
safety
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
position.
New Orleans Saints (first stint)
The
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
selected Jenkins in the first round (14th overall) of the
2009 NFL draft. Jenkins was the first cornerback to be drafted by the Saints in the first round since Oregon's
Alex Molden went eleventh overall in the
1996 NFL draft
The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The NFL draft, draft was held April 20–21, 1996 NFL seas ...
.

2009
On August 9, 2009, the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
signed Jenkins on a five–year,
$19 million contract that includes $11.00 million guaranteed and an initial
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $800,000.
Their agreement ended Jenkins' 11-day training camp holdout.
He missed that beginning of training camp due to his contract hold out, but upon arrival, he competed against
Tracy Porter,
Jabari Greer, and
Randall Gay to be a starting cornerback. Head coach
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Ne ...
named him a backup and listed him as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind starters Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer.
On September 13, 2009, Jenkins made his professional regular season debut in the
New Orleans Saints' home-opener against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
and made one solo tackle in their 45–27 victory.
He made first career tackle on running back
Aaron Brown and stopped him from scoring on an 87-yard kick return in the third quarter. He was inactive for the Saints' 24–10 victory against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
in Week 4 after due to an ankle sprain he sustained the previous week. He aggravated his ankle sprain and was inactive as the Saints won 46–34 at the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
in Week 7. He was named a starting cornerback heading into Week 11 due to Jabari Greer injuring his groin in Week 9 and Tracy Porter spraining his
MCL the following week. On November 22, 2009, Jenkins earned his first career start and recorded seven combined tackles (five solo), set a season-high with two pass deflections, and made the first interception of his career on a pass attempt thrown by
Josh Freeman to wide receiver
Antonio Bryant during the second quarter of a 38–7 victory at the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
in Week 11.
He remained the starter for the next six games after Greer was sidelined for the next seven games (Weeks 10–16) and Porter was sidelined for the next four games (11–14) In Week 13, he collected a season-high nine solo tackles and broke up a pass in a 33–30 win at the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
.
On December 27, 2009, Jenkins made a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) in the Saints' 20–17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16.
He finished his rookie season in
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
with 55 combined tackles (49 solo), four pass deflections, and an interception in 14 games and six starts.
The
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
finished first in the
NFC South
The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
with a 13–3 record, clinching a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. On January 16, 2010, Jenkins appeared in his first career playoff game as the Saints' defeated the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
45–14 in the NFC Divisional Round.
The Saints reached the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
after winning the
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
in a 31–28 win against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
.
On February 7, 2010, Jenkins appeared in
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
and recorded four solo tackles and a pass deflection in the Saints' 31–17 victory against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
.
2010
During the
2010 NFL draft
The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
, the Saints selected
Patrick Robinson in the first round (32nd overall). His addition to a group including Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, and
Randall Gay, became the catalyst for Jenkins transition to safety. On May 8, 2010, head coach
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Ne ...
addressed media during a press conference at rookie mini-camp, officially stating he intended to move Jenkins to safety during training camp. During training camp, Jenkins started his transition to the safety position and also competed to be a backup safety against
Usama Young under defensive coordinator
Gregg Williams. He performed well enough to earn the starting role at free safety after starter
Darren Sharper was added to the
PUP list as he recovered from undergoing microfracture surgery. He was paired with starting strong safety
Roman Harper to begin the regular season.
In Week 4, he recorded four solo tackles and had his first career sack on quarterback
Jimmy Clausen for a four–yard loss during the closing seconds of the fourth quarter as the Saints defeated the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
16–14. In Week 7, he collected a season-high nine combined tackles (eight solo) during a 30–17 loss to the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
. In Week 9, he sustained a neck injury during a 34–3 victory at the Carolina Panthers and was subsequently inactive for the Saints' 34–19 win against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in Week 11. On November 25, 2010, Jenkins made four combined tackles (three solo) and sparked a comeback by the Saints when they were down 27–23 with 3:20 remaining in the fourth quarter after he forced a fumble by wide receiver
Roy Williams and recovered it, leading it to a 14-yard touchdown pass by
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
to win 30–27 at the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. Following his performance, head coach
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Ne ...
said Jenkins performed "one of those plays that inspires everybody on the team".
He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. On December 12, 2010, Jenkins made four solo tackles, tied his season-high of three pass deflections, and had a season-high two interceptions and scored the first touchdown of his career during a 31–13 victory against the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
in Week 14. He scored the first touchdown of his career on a pick-six, intercepting a pass by
Sam Bradford
Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
and returned it for a 96-yards touchdown in the third quarter. His performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in 2010. Jenkins injured his knee in the Saints' Week 17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was forced to miss the NFC Wildcard Game. In his first season at safety, Jenkins had a total of 64 combined tackles (54 solo), made 12 pass deflections, two interceptions, one forced fumble, a fumble recovery, one sack, and a touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts.
2011
He entered training camp as the ''de facto'' starting free safety, following the departure of
Darren Sharper after the Saints elected not to re-sign him. He returned as the starting free safety, alongside
Roman Harper, to begin the season.
In Week 14, Jenkins collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) during a 22–17 victory at the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
.
On December 26, 2011, Jenkins made one solo tackle, tied his season-high of two pass deflections, and also scored the second touchdown of his career after he recovered a fumble that linebacker
Scott Shanle forced by wide receiver
Julio Jones
Quintorris Lopez "Julio" Jones Jr. ( ; born February 8, 1989) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. He played college foo ...
and returned it for a 30-yard touchdown as the Saints routed the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
45–16. He was inactive as a healthy scratch for the Saints 45–17 victory against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in Week 17 as head coach Sean Payton chose to rest his starting lineup in preparation for the playoffs as they had already clinched a playoff berth with a 12–3 record. He completed the
2011 season with 77 combined tackles (63 solo), nine passes defensed, and a sack in 15 games and 15 starts.
The
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
finished first in the NFC South during the
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season was the 92nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 46th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Thursday, September 8, 2011, with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the Super Bowl XLI ...
with a 13–3 record. On January 7, 2012, Jenkins had his first career start in a playoff game and made five combined tackles (four solo) during a 45–28 win against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
during the NFC Wildcard Game.
On January 14, 2012, he started in the NFC Divisional Round and made eight solo tackles, a pass deflection, and sacked quarterback
Alex Smith as the Saints lost 36–32 at the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
.
2012
The New Orleans Saints hired
Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator after Gregg Williams was indefinitely suspended for his involvement in the
New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. Head coach
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Ne ...
was also suspended for the 2012 season and named linebackers coach
Joe Vitt the interim head coach. Vitt named
Aaron Kromer
Aaron Kromer (born April 30, 1967) is an American football coach who is the offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Kromer served as the interim head coach of the New Orleans Saints for the first six gam ...
the interim head coach for the first six weeks after he received a suspension for the first six regular season games for his part in the Bounty scandal. Jenkins and
Roman Harper were both retained as the starting safeties despite the coaching changes.
On November 5, 2012, he collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (seven solo) in the Saints' 28–13 victory against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
in Week 9. In Week 11, Jenkins recorded six combined tackles, broke up a pass, and returned an interception for a touchdown during a 38–17 victory at the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. He returned an interception by quarterback
Carson Palmer, that was intended for tight end
Brandon Myers, for a 55-yard touchdown in the first quarter. The touchdown was Jenkins' second
pick six of his career. Jenkins was inactive for the last three regular season games (Weeks 15–17) due to a
hamstring
A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris.
Etymology
The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...
injury. Jenkins finished the
2012 season with 94 combined tackles (65 solo), seven pass deflections, an interception, and a touchdown in 13 games and 13 starts.
2013
The New Orleans Saints' new defensive coordinator
Rob Ryan held a competition to name starting safeties between Jenkins, Roman Harper, and rookie
2013 first round pick Kenny Vaccaro throughout training camp. Head coach
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he served as the head coach of the Ne ...
named Jenkins the starting free safety to begin the regular season, opposite strong safety
Roman Harper.
On October 13, 2013, Jenkins recorded eight combined tackles, a pass deflection, and earned a career-high 1½ sacks on
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
during a 30–27 loss at the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in Week 6. Jenkins was inactive for two games (Weeks 9–10) due to a back injury. In Week 13, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo) in the Saints' 34–7 loss at the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
.
He finished the
2013 season with 68 combined tackles (44 solo), six pass deflections, 2½ sacks, and two interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts.
The
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
finished second in the NFC South with an 11–5 record and defeated the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
26–24 in the NFC Wildcard Game.
On January 11, 2014, Jenkins played in his last game as a member of the Saints and recorded five combined tackles during 23–15 loss at the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in the NFC Divisional Round.
2014
He became an
unrestricted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
for the first time in his career in 2014. He garnered interest from multiple teams, but did not receive a contract offer from the Saints.
Philadelphia Eagles
On March 11, 2014, the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
signed Jenkins to a three–year, $15.50 million contract that included $8.50 million guaranteed, $6.00 million guaranteed upon signing, and an initial signing bonus of $5.00 million.
He entered camp slated as the ''de facto'' starting free safety. Head coach
Chip Kelly
Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...
officially named him the starter to begin the regular season, along with strong safety
Nate Allen.
On September 28, 2014, Jenkins recorded seven combined tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception by quarterback Colin Kaepernick for a 53-yard touchdown during a 26–21 loss at the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in Week 4. The pick six marked his third touchdown of his career and was his third consecutive game with an interception. In Week 15, he collected a season-high eight solo tackles in the Eagles' 38–27 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. Jenkins finished the 2014 season with 80 combined tackles (64 solo), 15 passes defensed, three interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts.
2015
Jenkins returned as the starting free safety in 2015 and played alongside strong safety
Walter Thurmond. On October 25, 2015, he made a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and broke up a pass during a 20–19 loss to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
in Week 10. On December 6, 2015, Jenkins recorded seven combined tackles, deflected a pass, and returned an interception for a touchdown in the Eagles 35–28 victory at the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in Week 13. He intercepted a pass by quarterback
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
, that was thrown to
Danny Amendola at the goal line, and returned it for a 99-yard touchdown in the third quarter. It became Jenkins fourth career
pick six and his performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. On December 28, 2015, the Philadelphia Eagles fired head coach
Chip Kelly
Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...
after finishing Week 16 with a 6–9 record.
Jenkins finished his second and last season under defensive coordinator
Billy Davis with a career-high 109 combined tackles (90 solo), ten pass deflections, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 16 games and 16 starts. Pro football focus gave Jenkins an overall grade of 85.8, which ranked second among all qualifying safeties in 2015.
On January 25, 2016, Jenkins announced via Twitter that he was added to the
2016 Pro Bowl
The 2016 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2015 season, which was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31, 2016. As of 2 ...
after originally being named a seventh alternate.
2016
On February 22, 2016, the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
signed Jenkins to a four–year, $35.00 million contract extension that included $21.00 million guaranteed, $16.00 million guaranteed upon signing, and an initial
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $7.50 million.
He also had a year remaining on his previous contract from 2014. In total, Jenkins is due $40.50 million over the next five seasons (2016–2020).
The Philadelphia Eagles' new head coach
Doug Pederson
Douglas Irvin Pederson (born January 31, 1968) is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who was the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He spent most o ...
retained Jenkins as a safety, alongside
Rodney McLeod. In Week 2, he collected five combined tackles, deflected a pass, and sacked quarterback
Jay Cutler
Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. A member of the Chicago Bears for most of his career, he is ...
during a 29–14 win at the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. On October 16, 2016, Jenkins recorded six combined tackles, two pass deflections, and returned an interception for a touchdown in the Eagles' 27–20 loss at the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
in Week 6. He intercepted a pass by
Kirk Cousins
Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans football, Mi ...
that was initially intended for tight end
Vernon Davis and returned it for a 64-yard touchdown in the second quarter. On December 22, 2016, Jenkins made six combined tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, intercepted two passes, and returned one for a touchdown in a 24–19 victory against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
in Week 16. He intercepted a pass by quarterback
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
originally intended for tight end
Will Tye and returned it for a 34-yard touchdown in the first quarter. It became Jenkins' sixth pick six of his career. Jenkins completed the
2016 season with 72 combined tackles (47 solo), nine passes defensed, three interceptions, two touchdowns, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts.
He was ranked the 90th best player in the league on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
2017
Defensive coordinator
Jim Schwartz retained Jenkins and Rodney McLeod as the starting safety duo to begin the 2017 season. In Week 7, Jenkins collected a career-high ten solo tackles and a sack during a 34–24 win against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
.
In Week 12, he made two combined tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception during a 31–3 victory against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. It marked Jenkins' second consecutive game with an interception.
On December 19, 2017, it was announced that Jenkins was voted to the
2017 Pro Bowl
The 2017 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2017 Pro Bowl presented by Aquafina for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2016 season, which was played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on January 29, 20 ...
. (He was unable to participate because the Eagles played in the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
.) He finished the
2017 season with 76 combined tackles (63 solo), eight pass deflections, two interceptions, and a sack in 16 games and 16 starts.
Pro Football Focus gave Jenkins an overall grade of 84.2, which ranked 19th among all qualifying safeties in 2017. He was ranked 96th by his peers on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
The
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
finished first in the
NFC East
The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It has four members: the Dallas Cowboys, New Yo ...
with a 13–3 record and received a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl after defeating the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
15–10 in the NFC Divisional Round and the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
38–7 in the
NFC Championship Game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
.
On February 4, 2018, Jenkins started in
Super Bowl LII
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. As a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX from 13 years earlier, the game was between the National Football Conferen ...
and recorded four solo tackles and a pass deflection as the Eagles defeated the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
41–33.
The victory in Super Bowl LII marked Jenkins' second Super Bowl victory and became the second time he helped a team achieve its first Super Bowl win in franchise history.
2018
In week 2 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
, Jenkins recorded 5 tackles and forced his first fumble of the season on wide receiver
Mike Evans which was recovered by teammate
Jordan Hicks during the 27–21 loss.
In week 8 against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
in London, Jenkins recovered a fumble forced by teammate
Avonte Maddox on wide receiver
Keelan Cole during the 24–18 win.
In week 12 against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, Jenkins recorded his first interception of the season off a pass thrown by
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
and returned it 25 yards during the 25–22 win.
In the following week's game against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, Jenkins recorded his first sack of the season on
Colt McCoy during the 28–13 win.
In week 15 against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, Jenkins recorded a season high 12 tackles during the 30–23 win.
Jenkins finished the season with 97 tackles (79 solo), one sack, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, eight pass deflections, and one interception in 16 games started.
In the wild-card round of the playoffs against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, Jenkins recorded 5 tackles during the 16–15 win which became known as
Double Doink.
In the divisional round of the playoffs against Jenkins' former team, the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, he recorded a team high 10 tackles during the 20–14 loss.
2019

In week 6 against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, Jenkins recorded a season high 8 tackles and forced a fumble on rookie running back
Alexander Mattison which was recovered by teammate
Kamu Grugier-Hill during the 38–20 loss.
In week 12 against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, Jenkins recorded 6 tackles and his first two sacks of the season on
Russell Wilson
Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...
during the 17–9 loss. In week 16 against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, Jenkins recorded 5 tackles and recovered a fumble forced by teammate
Fletcher Cox on rookie running back
Tony Pollard during the 17–9 win. In week 17 against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, Jenkins forced a fumble on rookie quarterback
Daniel Jones which was recovered by Fletcher Cox during the 34–17 win.
Jenkins finished the season with 80 combined tackles (62 solo), 2.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and eight pass deflections in 16 games started.
In the wild-card round of the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks, Jenkins recorded a team high 9 tackles and sacked Russell Wilson twice during the 17–9 loss.
The Eagles declined to pick up Jenkins' contract option for the 2020 season, making him a free agent at the start of the new league year on March 18, 2020.
New Orleans Saints (second stint)
On March 23, 2020, the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
signed Jenkins to a four-year, $32 million contract that included$16.25 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $9.00 million.
In Week 2 against the
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...
, Jenkins recorded his first sack of the season on
Derek Carr during the 24–34 loss.
In Week 9 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
, Jenkins recorded his first interception of the season off a pass thrown by
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
during the 38–3 win.
In Week 17 against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, Jenkins recorded his 3rd interception of the season off a pass thrown by
Teddy Bridgewater during the 33–7 win. Jenkins' third interception of the season tied his single-season career high.
On March 30, 2022, Jenkins announced his retirement.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Personal life
Jenkins started his own charity called The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation. According to their website, The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation "is committed to youth development initiatives and programs which emphasize mentorship, character development, leadership, education, life skills, health and recreation." He also started the Let's Listen Together initiative where he talks to Superintendent of Police Michael Chitwood to discuss social justice issues affecting police and community relations following shootings of unarmed people by police officers.
National anthem protest
On September 19, 2016, Jenkins began raising his fist during the national anthem to bring attention to racial inequality and continued to do it every week throughout 2016 and 2017. He said he would not stop protesting during the national anthem even if the NFL or his team's owner prohibited players from doing so. Jenkins has met on
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...
with legislators, written an opinion-editorial in ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' and signed a letter to NFL commissioner
Roger Goodell
Roger Stokoe Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is an American businessman who has served as the National Football League Commissioner, commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since 2006.
Goodell began his NFL career in 1982 as an admi ...
explaining his perspective on the issues.
On June 4, 2020, Jenkins posted an Instagram video in response to Drew Brees's comments that criticized protests during the National Anthem.
In July 2020, Jenkins received backlash after issuing a message that was seen by many in the Jewish community as dismissive in response to
DeSean Jackson
DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American college football coach and former player who is the Head coach, head football coach at Delaware State Hornets football, Delaware State University. Known for his speed, he is recog ...
posting anti-semitic posts on his
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account that included a quote falsely attributed to
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
. Jenkins said that Jackson's posts were a "distraction" and that "Jewish people aren't our problem."
References
External links
Malcolm Jenkinsat
Pro-Football-Reference.com
The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Malcolm
1987 births
Living people
20th-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century American sportsmen
21st-century African-American sportsmen
All-American college football players
American football cornerbacks
American football safeties
National Conference Pro Bowl players
New Orleans Saints players
Ohio State Buckeyes football players
Sportspeople from Piscataway, New Jersey
Philadelphia Eagles players
Piscataway High School alumni
Players of American football from Middlesex County, New Jersey
Players of American football from East Orange, New Jersey
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players