Malcolm Jenkins has been a team leader with the Philadelphia Eagles for several seasons now, and that is why it has been out of the ordinary for him to skip voluntary workouts with the team this offseason. While he may simply be choosing to take a difference approach heading into 2019, the star safety could also be unhappy with his contract.
Jeff McLane of The Inquirer speculates that Jenkins could be working out on his own for the time being because he wants a new contract. After several safeties signed massive free agent deals this offseason, he is now the 10th-highest-paid safety in the league. His average annual salary of $8.75 million is only slightly more than half of the $14 million per year Landon Collins will make with the Washington Redskins and Tyrann Mathieu will earn with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jenkins is several years older than both Mathieu and Collins, but he’s less than two years older than Earl Thomas, who signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens back in March. That puts him just slightly below what Mathieu and Collins are making, so you get the picture.
Jenkins has never missed a game during his five seasons with the Eagles, so he could easily argue he is underpaid. He still has two years remaining on his contract, however, so Philly may not be motivated to give him a raise. The situation will be worth monitoring as the offseason progresses.
