Longtime NFL veteran outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the New York Jets. As of this posting, the exact structure of the deal is not available to the public. Jenkins spent the entirety of his career to date with the New York Jets.
The #Jets are re-signing OLB Jordan Jenkins on a 1-year deal worth $5M, source said. After a career-high in sacks, he’s back at the table next year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2020
New York Jets Sign Jordan Jenkins
The New York Jets have not had an elite edge rusher in over a decade and a half. For the past two seasons though, outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins has shown to have the making of at least a consistent one. In 2019, Jenkins posted a career-high 8.0 sacks, with 13 quarterback hits, and provided an experienced rusher off the edge. He kept up his reputation as a solid run stopper in the Jets 3-4 defense as he had a career season in 2019. All despite missing two games due to a calf injury.
The former third-round pick by former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, he is arguably Maccagnan’s only mid-round pick to prove valuable. Jenkins manned a fearsome front at Georgia alongside Leonard Floyd (Chicago Bears) and Lorenzo Carter (New York Giants). The Jets picked Jenkins, knowing he is a rush defense specialist, but not a pass rusher. The 6-3 and 259lbs Jenkins displayed that through his first two seasons, with only 5.5 sacks to 90 tackles. His reputation remained until the 2018 season.
Despite only starting 11 of 16 games, Jenkins made his mark. He was tied first on the team for sacks with 7.0, including a career-high 15 quarterback hits. Jenkins has only improved every season as a pass rusher, becoming a more well-rounded linebacker as he will only be 26 in his fifth season. With pass rushers being such a premium in the modern-day NFL, to sign a young and improving outside linebackers like Jenkins is a huge acquisition.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images