What’s the latest on Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins? Well, the situation doesn’t lead us to be optimistic; that’s for sure.
Voluntary OTAs have been back in Philadelphia for close to two weeks now, and the Philadelphia Eagles have had a solid turnout so far. Since the portion of these sessions is voluntary, not everybody has to be in attendance. Typically, younger players and roster hopefuls are almost guaranteed to show up. Meanwhile, there’s going to be a handful of seasoned veterans who stay home and train elsewhere until it is mandatory to show up.
As expected, the Eagles do have a few healthy players who are currently absent from the sessions. It’s not a big deal. However, there is a notable name on the list who might be taking his absence a bit more serious. As we know, Eagles’ safety and acting captain Malcolm Jenkins has yet to show up to the Nova Care Complex for practice this offseason. While Jenkins does deserve the extended vacation, apparently that’s not what he’s missing practice time for.
When it was announced that Jenkins wouldn’t be available, many began to assume and panic. Typically, the veteran leader shows up whether it is voluntary or not. But after an offseason that treated some of the league’s top safeties quite well when it came to guaranteed money, Mr. Never Miss a Snap for the Eagles wants to potentially re-work his deal to update what he’s earned.
Will the holdout become official?
Right now, we can’t necessarily call Jenkins’ situation a holdout. However, when mandatory mini-camp rolls around, that’s when we will know if Jenkins is definitely in search of a new deal or not. According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter, he doesn’t believe the Eagles will see Malcolm Jenkins “for a while.” Schefter also told the guys over at 97.5 The Fanatic that he would “be surprised if we saw him [Jenkins] at mandatory minicamp.
At this point, Jenkins understands his role within the Eagles defense. Not only is he a vocal leader on the field, but he also extends his play from safety to cornerback, and sometimes even linebacker. Not to mention, he dabbles in special teams as well.
And since joining the Eagles back in 2014, Jenkins has yet to miss a game. Last year, he didn’t even miss a snap. Losing Jenkins would easily be the biggest loss of the Eagles’ 2019 season, and they lost Michael Bennett and Nick Foles this year. That tells you just how important these contract negotiations are going to be this year. Sooner or later, the Eagles will need to make Jenkins happy.