Malcolm Jenkins Turns up Heat on Eagles GM Howie Roseman

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is on the hot seat for some questionable draft picks and curious free agent signings, and safety Malcolm Jenkins turned the heat up another notch on Wednesday when he talked to media in New Orleans about how his time in Philadelphia ended.

Quick recap: Roseman released Jenkins last year rather than restructuring his contract. The New Orleans Saints snapped him up in a matter of days.

“I gave everything I had to that city, to the team, did everything the coaches asked me to do, did everything I could to make the players around me better, tried to put my best football out there and it just wasn’t valued that much by those who make the decisions,” said Jenkins.

Oof.

It wasn’t about the money, he said.

“It was just more of a principle about respect,” said Jenkins, who turns 33 on Dec. 20. “I didn’t really care what the money was, but I wanted to see what that respect factor was, and it wasn’t valued at what I thought, so decisions are made, and I ended up at a place that values what I bring, has a history with me and obviously it’s worked out.”

It sure has worked out.

The Saints, who visit three-win Philadelphia on Sunday, have won 10 games and their defense is ranked No. 1 in the league. they are one of the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, with Jenkins eyeing a third championship ring, having won one with the Saints in 2010 and the Eagles in 2017.

“I’ve said this before publicly that letting him get away was a mistake,” said New Orleans coach Sean Payton on Wednesday afternoon. “He’s someone that has got very good football IQ, has got good football instincts. He works at his craft. He’s a real good leader, and he’s got a calming presence in the back end.”

The Eagles saw all of that up close when he arrived as a free agent from the Saints in 2014. He started all 96 games and played all but a handful of snaps.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on Tuesday said Jenkins was the smartest player he has ever coached, one who rarely made a mistake, and when he did, it was a news flash.

“That’s respect on the highest level,” said Jenkins. “That’s a coach that is not only respected by me but respected around this league. He knows about football, he’s coached a lot of great players, so to hear that from a coach you played for, that’s why you play the game, you play the game for the respect of your opponents, your peers, and those who you play for, so I didn’t take it lightly.

“That meant a lot to me, someone who pours his soul into what he does, to have that recognized from a coach of his stature is a big deal.”

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