Cullen Jenkins knew his number was too high.
So, in a seemingly unprecedented move in pro sports, he chose to take a pay cut. Jenkins knew when he signed his five-year, $30 million contract with the Eagles last July that he might have to restructure.
“I’ve been around the league long enough and seen enough to understand what happens or the possibility that can happen,” Jenkins said yesterday in a conference call.
Jenkins was reportedly due $7.5 million in 2012, including a $5 million roster bonus. The team isn’t disclosing his adjusted salary — which is significantly lower — but the two sides seem very happy.
“We are very excited about having Cullen back on our football team,” GM Howie Roseman said in a statement. “Cullen made an immediate impact for us this year on and off the field. We look forward to a great future together with him in an Eagles uniform.”
Maybe the move frees up money for DeSean Jackson.
“If by me doing this it can help the team in any way, that’s something that you have to feel good about,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said the negotiation happened “pretty quick” and he actually first learned about it while flying back and forth from Orlando where he spent the weekend watching his oldest daughter compete in a gymnastics competition. He got a flurry of texts last Friday night, then received the good news, via a text from head coach Andy Reid, when he landed Monday morning.
“I wanted security, I wanted to be somewhere I liked, and the opportunity presented itself and I was more than happy to turn this into more of a long-term deal,” Jenkins said. “I want to finish my career as an Eagle.”
