How worried should Eagles fans be about Malcolm Jenkins’ contract?

As we inch closer and closer to the start of Eagles training camp, Malcolm Jenkins still does not have a new contract. How worried should fans be as to the status of the star safety?

It’s almost hard to believe that we are closing in on another NFL season. Training camp for the Philadelphia Eagles will begin on July 24th and one of the major storylines heading into the season is the status of Malcolm Jenkins‘ contract.

Jenkins has stated outright that he believes he has outplayed his current deal, and did not attend OTAs earlier this offseason. He did return for mandatory minicamp, but the question still needs to be asked, will Jenkins’ contract be a distraction heading into the season?

The short answer…… No it won’t

Here’s the deal (no pun intended).

Contract negotiations will always be a part of professional sports. Players want to maximize their earning potential and teams want to put together the best team without blowing out the budget. The great thing for Eagles fans is that the team has shown a commitment to taking care of their own.

Since the Brian Dawkins debacle , the team has made it a point to lock up key players before they have a chance to enter free agency. Zach Ertz, Fletcher Cox, Lane Johnson, and Carson Wentz have all received extensions after producing on the field, and Jenkins should be no different.

Some might point to the fact that he skipped OTAs as a sign that he is a disgruntled player. In this case, there is one big thing that people always seem to miss. OTAs are VOLUNTARY. Is it nice if all of the players show up for workouts? Of course it is, but again, when push came to shove and activities became required, Jenkins was there with his teammates.

He could have gone the Aaron Donald route and held out through training camp, but he didn’t. Jenkins is one of the most respected players in the Eagles locker room and his teammates know that they can count on him.

Stat Story

Since signing his contract extension in 2016, Jenkins has produced. Over the last three years, Jenkins has totaled 235 total tackles, six interceptions, three sacks, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

Oh, and did we mention that he has not missed a game, and he’s played 3,003 snaps out of a possible 3,087? Combine that with the fact that he is the quarterback of the defense, and routinely plays at least three different positions  (strong safety, cornerback, and dime linebacker).

When thinking in that vein, you can start to see why Jenkins believes that he has earned a raise.

Jenkins is currently the ninth highest paid safety in the NFL. Other players on that list include Tyrann Mathieu, Landon Collins, Reshad Jones and Devin McCourty. Some on that list have the versatility that Jenkins does, and others have production, but you can argue that maybe only one or two offer both the versatility and production that Jenkins does.

Before it gets brought up, while age is definitely a factor, it shouldn’t be the primary argument against an extension. Jenkins is 31, but 5 of the highest paid safeties (including Jenkins) are age 30 or 31.

There’s no need to panic

The sooner that this situation is resolved, the better, but this shouldn’t be something that concerns fans. For better or worse, this is part of the game and fortunately, this isn’t something that has caused a rift between player and team.

The Eagles have shown that if a player produces, they have no problem giving them an extension. Jenkins is a proven team leader that is a key cog in what may be one of the most talented Eagles teams in the last few years. There shouldn’t be any doubt that this will get resolved and the team will have their sights firmly set on a trip to Miami.