Malcolm Jenkins on Leaving the NFL: “My Daughter Needed Me More Than the Game Did”

For over a decade, Malcolm Jenkins was a pillar of the NFL—fierce, intelligent, and relentlessly committed to excellence. A two-time Super Bowl champion, respected leader, and one of the league’s most vocal advocates for justice, Jenkins had every reason to keep playing. But in 2022, at the height of his influence, he made the unexpected decision to retire. And now, he’s revealing the deeply personal reason behind that choice: his daughters.

“My daughter needed me more than the game did,” Jenkins said in a recent interview. “And that hit me harder than any tackle I ever took.”

Jenkins, who shares two daughters—Elle and Olivia—with his former partner, spent years juggling fatherhood with the intense demands of professional football. While fans saw the highlight reels and post-game interviews, what they didn’t see were the missed birthdays, the bedtime stories over FaceTime, and the deep guilt that grew with every absence.

One moment in particular shattered him. During his final season, Jenkins received a call on the team bus: his youngest daughter had been rushed to the hospital. “I was supposed to be locked in, preparing for the game,” he recalled, “but all I could think about was my little girl in a hospital bed, and me being hours away.”

That night, something changed. Jenkins had always believed he could balance it all. But he began to see the cost. “You sacrifice so much to play this game at a high level. And for a long time, I told myself it was worth it,” he said. “But that call made me realize—I can’t be in two places at once. And the place I needed to be most wasn’t on the field.”

Retiring wasn’t easy. Football had been his identity, his platform, his passion. But Jenkins knew that real strength wasn’t just in how many hits he took, but in the courage to walk away for the right reasons. “The game gave me everything,” he said. “But it also took time I’ll never get back.”

Since leaving the league, Jenkins has devoted himself to being a present and intentional father. School pickups, family dinners, weekend outings—he’s now where he always wanted to be. He’s also continued his work with The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, but with a shifted focus: putting fatherhood and family first.

Looking back, Jenkins feels no regret. “There’s no Super Bowl ring that compares to seeing your daughter smile because you showed up,” he said. “I may have left the game, but I finally stepped into the role that matters most.”

For Malcolm Jenkins, the jersey came off—but the heart of a champion now beats stronger than ever, not on the field, but at home.