Malcolm Jenkins is hanging up his cleats.
After 13 seasons in the NFL, the former Ohio State defensive back announced Wednesday on The Pivot Podcast that he is retiring from football.
“It’s been a long, long journey, but it’s the right time for me to do that transition,” Jenkins said. “I’ve played the game at the highest level for 13 seasons, and I’ve accomplished Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, 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.
“You grind and put everything into this game in order to play at a certain level. You sacrifice your body, your time, your mental, and you perform at a certain level. And I'm like if I can do this at this level amongst the greatest in the world at what I’m doing, I’m excited to put that energy into something else.”
Grateful After 13 seasons, my time on the football field has come to an end. Im just a boy from Piscataway, who through this game, became a champion in the sport and a champion for the people. My time on the field may be over, but Ill never stop fighting for the people. pic.twitter.com/vd9u5eNU0H
— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) March 30, 2022
A first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft, Jenkins started 191 of the 199 games he played over the past 13 seasons between seven years with the New Orleans Saints and six with the Philadelphia Eagles. He won two Super Bowl championships – with the Saints in his rookie season and with the Eagles in 2018 – and was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Eagles in 2015, 2016 and 2018.
Jenkins, who won the Jim Thorpe Award and earned consensus All-American honors at Ohio State in 2008 before he went on to the NFL, recorded 1,044 total tackles with 21 interceptions, 20 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, eight touchdown returns, 110 pass deflections, 51 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks over the course of his professional career.
Jenkins was the longest-tenured former Ohio State football player in the NFL. With his retirement, Cameron Heyward and Jake McQuaide – both members of the 2011 draft class – are now the Buckeyes who have been in the league the longest.
Although Jenkins’ football career is coming to an end, he doesn’t expect to sit back and relax. He told The Pivot that he plans to continue to give back to the community and speak up about social issues, as he has throughout his NFL career, while he said he is also developing a scripted comedy show about his life through his production company, Listen Up Media. Jenkins is also involved in several other business ventures and became a minority investor in English Premier League soccer team Burnley FC last year.
