ExtremeRavens Posted 7 hours ago Posted 7 hours ago When Saints nose tackle Broderick Bunkley suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury in 2013, he told then-teammate and rookie John Jenkins to not give New Orleans a reason to bring someone else in. Thirteen years and seven teams later, it has proven to be sage advice. On Friday, the Ravens signed Jenkins to a one-year extension, the team announced. The deal is for one year and $2.1 million, a source with direct knowledge of the contract confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. “I’m excited,” Jenkins said Friday. “Ya’ll know I been around the whole America and having my first extension in 13 years, I’m excited.” Indeed. The 6-foot-3, 360-pound defensive tackle had ostensibly been on 11 one-year deals over the course of what has been a solid if unspectacular career with seven teams. “So yeah, I was surprised,” he said. Jenkins, 36, wasn’t sure that he would be back at all. “Being in this position, 13 years, you start thinking about life after football,” he said. “So I was having some conversations with some people in the front office and things of that nature and they were like, ‘Hey listen, you still got it.’ You think so? Next thing you know, here we are.” The deal also comes after what has been a strong season for the veteran. In 16 games, Jenkins has 36 tackles, including three for loss, and two forced fumbles. His Pro Football Focus grade is also his best since 2021. And he has helped plug the middle of a run defense that over the past two months has been one of the best in the NFL. Just as importantly, he has been a dependable presence in the middle after Baltimore lost Nnamdi Madubuike to a season-ending neck injury in Week 2 and not long after veteran Broderick Washington to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. With Madubuike’s future uncertain, the Ravens at least know they will now have Jenkins and Travis Jones for the immediate future after Jones signed a three-year extension last month. That organizational faith in Jenkins is one of the reasons the seasoned defender was more than happy to stick around. “They believed in me to not bring somebody else in,” he said. “That says a lot when things like that happen.” As for the secret to lasting that long at one of the most physically demanding positions in the sport? “Just know that it’s not very glorifying,” Jenkins said. “I make a joke with [fullback] Pat Ricard — he’s the nose tackle of the offense. We just grind, do our job and set people up to make plays.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.