New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins is used to using his voice to reach his peers in the locker room. Now, the three-time Pro Bowl defensive back will be using his voice to inspire millions across the nation with CNN.
CNN hires Malcolm Jenkins to speak on national affairs
Malcolm Jenkins, a co-founder of the Players Coalition and a public advocate for police reform, will be joining CNN as a contributor to comment regularly on national affairs within the United States.
The move, confirmed by CNN on Monday morning, will put one of the NFL’s greatest advocates for social justice and racial equality in the United States.
Jenkins, 32, signed with the Saints this offseason in a return to where his NFL career began. The No. 14 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Jenkins played in New Orleans from 2009-’13, before playing for the Philadelphia Eagles for the past six seasons.
He was among the NFL players to peacefully protest during the national anthem in recent years to raise awareness for systemic inequalities and police brutality in the United States. Recently, Jenkins blasted the NFL for tis treatment of Colin Kaepernick in recent years and called on the league to apologize.
Malcolm Jenkins on Drew Brees
When Drew Brees said on June 3 that players who kneel during the national anthem are disrespecting the flag, Jenkins blasted his friend and teammate on social media. The message got through to Brees, who later apologized and fired back at Donald Trump’s tweet about protests.
Brees later signed a letter created by the Players Coalition calling for Congress to end qualified immunity for law enforcement in the United States. Now in his new role with CNN, which won’t take time away from his time as a player, Jenkins will likely hope to win over even more minds across the country with an even bigger platform.