PHILADELPHIA — It's the end of an era in Philadelphia, as the Eagles announced Tuesday they are declining to exercise their 2020 contact option on Malcolm Jenkins, allowing the veteran safety to become a free agent.
Jenkins was a six-year starter in the Eagles' secondary and a vital part of their Super Bowl championship season in 2017.
But Jenkins was unhappy with his contract, and skipped voluntary OTAs prior to last season. At the end of the year -- when he played a vital role in a secondary besieged by injuries and helped the team reach the playoffs for the third straight season -- Jenkins made it clear on social media that he did not intend to play on his current deal in 2020.
Jenkins was the NFL's 12th-highest paid safety at the end of last season, according to PhillyVoice.com, and was only owed $7.6 million in 2020.
But he also recently turned 32, and Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman made it clear at the start of the offseason that he intended to begin to replace some aging veterans with younger players.
Jenkins is likely part of that effort.
The team announced his departure on social media.
Jenkins thanked fans and the organization on Twitter:
