Malcolm Jenkins agrees to 5-year deal with Eagles through 2020

PHILADELPHIA --Malcolm Jenkins moved to the front of the line.

The Philadelphia Eagles signed the Pro Bowl safety Monday to a new five-year contract. Jenkins was going into the final season of the three-year deal he signed two years ago as a free agent.

When the Eagles signed a handful of players to contract extensions last month, Jenkins said he was interested in remaining with the team and was just waiting his turn in line for a new deal.

"I reached out to my agent at the end of the season and expressed to him that Philly is the team I really want to be on for the long run," Jenkins said Monday afternoon. "I told him if the feeling was mutual, I'd like to get something long-term done."

Jenkins' new deal runs through 2020 and includes $35 million in new money. He will get $21 million guaranteed. His salary cap hit for 2016, which would have been $7.1 million under his old contract, will drop to $5.6 million.

Jenkins, 28, played every defensive snap during his first two seasons with the Eagles. He has intercepted five passes and knocked down 29 passes. Jenkins returned two interceptions for touchdowns, a 53-yarder in 2014 and a 99-yarder against the New England Patriots in 2015.

Jenkins spent his first five seasons with the New Orleans Saints. A first-round pick as a cornerback in 2009, Jenkins played on a Super Bowl-winning team as a rookie. He was moved to safety in 2010 and played at that position for the next four years.

In 2014, Jenkins signed a three-year, $15.5 million contract with the Eagles. He has started every game in his two years with the team.

In defensive coordinator Bill Davis' scheme, Jenkins lined up as a nickel cornerback at times. His cornerback skills allowed him to cover wide receivers and running backs equally well.

"The last two seasons, I've had the two best seasons of my life, personally," Jenkins said. "My career's really started to take off."

Jenkins was credited with a team-high 233 tackles over the last two seasons.

With a new coaching staff in place this season, Jenkins' future was unclear. Because he was due to become a free agent after 2016, Jenkins could have waited to see how life was under new head coach Doug Pederson and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

"It felt good to me to know I was on that list of players they felt they could start to build around," Jenkins said.

By locking him up now, the Eagles showed a commitment to Jenkins through 2020, and Jenkins showed some faith in the direction the team is taking.

The 6-foot, 204-pound Jenkins is from Piscataway, N.J. He played his college football at Ohio State.