Former Ohio State Defensive Back Malcolm Jenkins Retiring After 13-Year NFL Career

The former first-round pick won a pair of Super Bowls with the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.

Former Ohio State defensive back Malcolm Jenkins announced during an appearance on The Pivot podcast on Wednesday that he is retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons with the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.

“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. 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 (health) 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. It's that time.”

The 14th overall pick of the Saints in the first-round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Jenkins played five seasons the franchise before signing a free-agent deal with the Eagles in 2014. He then played six years in Philadelphia before returning to New Orleans in 2020.

Jenkins finishes his career with 1,123 tackles, 116 pass break ups, 56 tackles for loss, 40 quarterback hits, 21 interceptions, 20 forced fumbles, 15.5 sacks, 11 fumble recoveries and eight defensive touchdowns in 213 career games, including the playoffs. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times and won a pair of Super Bowl titles (XLIV and LII).

Grateful 🙏🏾 After 13 seasons, my time on the football field has come to an end. I’m 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 I’ll never stop fighting for the people. ✊🏾🖤 pic.twitter.com/vd9u5eNU0H

— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) March 30, 2022

A former four-star prospect from Piscataway, N.J., Jenkins recored 196 tackles, 18 pass break ups, 11 interceptions, four forced fumbles, three blocked punts and two defensive touchdowns in 50 career games with the Buckeyes from 2005-08. He was a consensus All-American and the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back as a senior.

The 34-year-old Jenkins was the longest-tenured former Ohio State player in the NFL prior to his retirement. That title now belongs to Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and Dallas Cowboys long snapper Jake McQuaide, who both entered the league in 2011.

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