Former Big Ten Standout Calls it a Career
New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins announced his retirement Wednesday after an indelible 13-year NFL career that saw him win Super Bowls with two different franchises and emerge as a leader in the social justice movement.
Jenkins, 34, originally joined the Saints as a first-round draft pick out of Ohio State and played there in from 2009 to 2013 before spending six years with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2014 to 2019 and finishing his career back in New Orleans from 2020 to 2021.
He won Super Bowls with the Saints in 2009 and Eagles in 2017, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
"I played the game at the highest level for 13 seasons," Jenkins said while sharing his decision on The Pivot podcast. "And I have accomplished Super Bowls, Pro Bowl, all that there is to do in this game. And when I came in, I always wanted to make an impact on the game on and off the field. And I just feel like at this point I've accomplished that."
The 6-foot, 204-pounder, who began his career as a cornerback, has 21 career interceptions, 20 forced fumbles and eight touchdowns scored. He played in 199 regular-season games with 191 starts, plus another 14 playoff games.
Jenkins had a remarkable 133-game ironman streak that was ended by the league's COVID-19 protocols last year. Before that, he hadn't missed a game since 2013.
Jenkins played his college football at Ohio State, where he was a 3-time First Team All-Big Ten Selection and a consensus All-American in 2008.