Pederson Expects Malcolm Jenkins at Eagles Mini-camp

PHILADELPHIA — Malcolm Jenkins has been missing from voluntary work this spring but Eagles coach Doug Pederson expects his Pro Bowl safety to be in attendance next week when things turn mandatory for mini-camp.

Jenkins, a team leader and ironman who typically never misses a practice never mind a game, has been working out on his own in an effort to re-work his contract, which has two years remaining but most of the guaranteed money gone.

Jenkins did show at Carson Wentz’s charity softball game at Citizens Bank Park Friday but again was not an on-field OTA practice when things ramped up again on at the NovaCare Complex on Monday.

“We’re still in that voluntary portion of the offseason and we’re focused on the guys that are here but I fully expect that everybody will be here next week," Pederson said before clarifying that was not a confirmation just essential an expectation from the head coach because the June 11-13 minicamp is mandatory.

"It’s the first mandatory portion of the offseason, so as a head coach, I would expect [the veterans] would all be here,” the coach said.

Others high-profiles absences to date date been starting offensive tackles Lane Johnson and Jason Peters as well as receiver Alshon Jeffery. Both Johnson and Jeffery were also at Wentz's softball game.

Jenkins would incur nominal fines if he did not show -- about $80,000 -- but the Eagles could and likely would waive that stipend when a deal is ultimately worked out.

Jenkins signed a four-year, $35 million extension with Philadelphia three years ago with $21M of that guaranteed. He is on the books for an $8.1M base salary in 2019 and a cap hit of nearly $11.4M. During that same time, the safety position as a whole has spiked from a salary perspective with lesser players like Landon Collins, Tyrann Mathieu, Lemarcus Joyner and Adrian Amos cashing in due to timing and circumstance.

At 31 with the dearth of guarantees moving forward that screams extension or, at the bare minimum, a tweak of his current contract for Jenkins even if it's only guaranteeing the majority of the remaining money on his deal and perhaps offering some incentives on top of that.