How Close is Kris Jenkins to Retirement?
Greg Bishop of the New York Times got some excellent, albeit depressing, quotes from Jets Defensive Tackle Kris Jenkins about his offseason internal dialog about retirement and whether or not he’d play in 2010, and what brought him back to the Jets.
“This is the first year that retirement really crossed my mind,” said Jenkins, a defensive tackle who turns 31 on Aug. 3. “You hear people talk about the end, but you start feeling those emotions, and it’s a trip, honestly. You have anxiety issues sometimes.”
He continued: “Look, I’ve been playing football since I was 8. I’m getting tired. Like, I’m not tired of it yet, but I’m starting to get tired.”
The experiment confirmed to Jenkins his lack of career regrets, and he said he decided to listen to his position coach, Mark Carrier, who told him to look no further than the next season.
Jenkins also considered the new direction of his life, including his first wedding anniversary recently and his responsibility to his three young children. All of that played a role, but with training camp now two weeks away, with a season full of promise on the horizon, Jenkins said that one factor, Coach Rex Ryan, registered as most important.
“The biggest thing was Rex,” Jenkins said. “If it had been any other coach, it probably would have been my last year.”
While he’s just been on the team for two seasons, he’s been an invaluable piece of the Jets defense, and while Rex Ryan made do without him for much of the ‘09 season. I’d much rather a guy like this …
… on the team, than not. I’m glad to hear that Jenkins did decide to return to the Jets, and I do hope that he’ll be back for a few more years, but for a guy his size, sadly, his knees and back will only get worse the longer he plays, so at some point he’s going to have to say enough.
This is another part of the weight loss challenge. Ryan is hoping to extend Jenkins play during the season by having him play at a lighter weight than his standard 360. If Jenkins could get to 335ish, it might help extend his play. Ryan is savvy enough that he’d rather have Jenkins and worry less about the scheme than rigidly conform to a scheme with a 360 Nose Tackle.
I’ve been screaming about the Jets getting serious about upgrading their defensive line via the draft for two years, and if this doesn’t put the Fear of God into the front office about getting younger and deeper at the defensive line in 2011, then I don’t know what will. While I don’t begrudge the team the picks they’ve made in the last two years as Jets have built a solid core elsewhere. Now though, it’s time to find some young talent who can be in this system for the next ten years on the defensive line.
35 Responses to How Close is Kris Jenkins to Retirement?
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daddybe1 says:
arent u suppose to save the bad news for later?
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Ryan says:
Brendan,
While I agree with you that DeVito and Pouha did a more than adequate job last season filling in for Jenkins, two seasons ago Jenkins’ name was consistently mentioned throughout the year for DPOY and even MVP. I do not see either DeVito or Pouha receiving that type attention in the near fututre
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Ryan,
In Rex’s defense, the D-line aren’t DPOYs or MVPs. They’re the lunch-pail players who clock in, do the dirty work, and clock out. No glitz, no glamor, no recognition. They’re as close to Offensive Linemen as you can get. Yes, having Jenks in there (literally) tossing would-be blockers around is a huge plus, but it’s not vital to the success of the defense. Last time I checked, the Jets defense was still #1 last year (by far) and they played more games without Jenks than with him.
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dmazz says:
Hey man if Jenks wants to retire next season that only helps the Jets financially. He makes our defense better theres no doubt about it, but we have serviceable parts to fill in including the 2011 draft and supplemental.
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charleyjet says:
The question for Jenks is just staying on the field.
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I swear I have read this story three times from Jenkins. Once was in Carolina and how he was ready to call it quits and then the trade to the Jets made made him hungry again. The second was just last year when I thought he said he thought about retiring until the first time he talked to Rex and was then ready to go through a wall for him. That said-D-Line is a major concern whether he stays or does not stay. Its an old group and a bunch of UDFAs as backups.
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brian311 says:
i am sure the fear of a lockout in 2011 also played a big role. you have to make that point in this analysis. if he retires now and regrets it, he may not be able to play again until 2012 and by then it would most likely be too late.
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MEL31602 says:
Hey Bent/other cap experts on here. I found this story interesting about how the Jets do not have enough money to provide both skill and injury guarentees since there is a rule that says these guarentees must fit under the projected salary cap in an uncapped year. i had never heard of this rule before but now the Brick deal makes sense as well. I would probably just give Revis a big signing bonus (even though that’s rare nowadays according to the article) to show the team’s commitment to him
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also the lockout was another argument for targeting Oldrick in this years draft. If there is no football in 2011, the D-line would be in shambles in 2012. Big Jinks, Pouha, and Ellis would all be either gone or washed up. Devito would be the only established player left on the roster. Potty and the depth guys would be left to pick up the slack. Because of this, there is a lot of pressure in the next 2 drafts to get DLs
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JetObsessed28 says:
I love watching that video..
The only thing missing is Chris Tucker standing over the center saying, “you got knocked the F out.. .maaaaan!” -
time does not stand still just because they arent playing. they still will be a year older.
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…..They will have an entire season to recover, get healthy, and work out. I do not see how that can reasonably cause them to be “washed up”. Working out doesn’t make you washed up, playing a brutal 16 game season does.
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i just dont see a 35 year old Ellis, and a 33 year old Jenkins on the roster in 2012, a year off to rest or not.
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Depends more on $ and role than anything else. I took more issue with Ellis and Pouha than Jenks though, he’ll probably retire if there is a lockout.
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Phil T. says:
I’m wondering if Rex’s system allows for cheaper veteran players to come in and contribute, which is what we need. We can’t keep stockpiling great young talent because they’ll want to get paid too like the core four. There needs to be a good mix of veterans, rookies, and prime players.
I agree with Brendan that Devito and Pouha more than showed they are capable of handling the line. Then just keep veteran guys in there for depth and stability.
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Justin says:
Sounds like Jenks was blowing off some steam, I can imagine just how long and difficult that type of rehab is.
By the end of last year we had no real pass rush, having Jenks back and having Taylor rotating in is going to put so much more pressure on the QB…with our much improved secondary, I can’t wait to see it all together…
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Electric Ham says:
I for one hope he is around for a few years, 1 because he is about as dominant of a defensive lineman as there is in the game and 2 because I just spent $230 to get an authentic jenkins jersey from the jets website.
Also if the Jets went anywhere besides DL with the first pick next year I would be shocked. They have been skating around that idea for awhile now and have done well with players like devito and pouha but its time to get a big time, young player on the line. Something like when the Ravens drafted Haloti Ngata when Rex was there.
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eboozer says:
The article shows a photo of Kris. don’t know if it is a current or recent photo, but he looks great. that is a big man. looks trim and big big big.
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Bent says: “Ryan is savvy enough that he’d rather have Jenkins and worry less about the scheme than rigidly conform to a scheme with a 360 Nose Tackle.”
I don’t think this is a scheme that relies on a 360 pound nose tackle, nor should it be, because there are about five decent ones in the league at any given time.
The scheme becomes a system with a 360 pound nose tackle when Jenkins plays because Jenkins is a 360 pound nose tackle. If he weighed 30 pounds less, nothing would change…in fact it would probably make matters easier because all the component parts would become that much more interchangeable.
Jenkins is a good asset to have, but when he departs (and hopefully that’s a few years away), the Jets should be able to replace him with someone cheaper and the onus will be on the linebackers to make more plays.
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Bkwrxwgn says:
Jenks is like a V12 while Pouha and Devito combined can be considered a 4 cylinder twin turbo. Both are effective but if you want that initial low torque power that’ll plow through that O line and make the opposing qb (insert Henne, Brady, Farve, Palmer) poop in his pants at the site of behemoth headed straight for him, I would rather have Big Jenks. Don’t get me wrong I’m a big fan of Pouha and his break out performance of being an anchor while Jenks was out. That clip just makes you want to see the Jets D line manhandle the opposing teams O Line! Sorry for the ranting just am to eager for the season to start.
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Bent says:
Mel – thanks for the link.
Yes, this is something we’ve been talking about for a while and Jimmy Halsell was kind enough to go into more detail about exactly how it will work on his blog (insidethecap) last week. (You may have seen this republished on FO).
To summarize, a team is limited as to how much they can guarantee in terms of future salaries. The limit is set by the lower of how much of the 2009 salary for that player was guaranteed and how much cap space the team had left over in 2009 (about half a million for the Jets).
As we know, the Jets have been trying to give Revis a deal with the same $21m due in the first 3 years as he is due anyway (to enable them to keep the core together). He’s been complaining that none of this is fully guaranteed, but the Jets literally cannot fully guarantee it. They can guarantee it for skill or injury, but not both. At the moment, the last 20m of the 21m currently due to him is not exactly fully guaranteed either, because if he misses Pro Bowl appearances or holds out (or suffers a career threatening injury before the end of this season), he could lose out on some or all of it.
Brick is thought to have taken out insurance against injuries, so he has protected himself.
This doesn’t mean that it is impossible for the Jets to do a deal with him. Guaranteed money can still be given to him by way of a signing bonus (although the Jets – and other teams – have made it clear that big signing bonuses are unlikely with a lockout pending). Also, they could give him a roster bonus five days after the contract is signed (as they did with Brick). It’s possible to give him something like 7-8m in this way and still comply with the 30% rule. Again, this wouldn’t be fully guaranteed, but since you only have five days to wait, it practically is.
While some sources have started to speculate that contract talks have broken down (because Revis was quoted as saying he hasn’t had an update from his agent for a while), all signs continue to point towards some sort of temporary compromise. Chris Johnson just signed a deal which gives him extra money but doesn’t extend the length of his contract (he is under contract through 2012), so I could see that setting the ball rolling for something similar with Revis.
Either way, Team Revis does need to show some understanding in terms of the Jets’ plight.
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WW85 says:
I’m not really clear on why the private injury inurance option isn’t used more often. I believe it’s very cheap–the premiums are around 2% of the amount you want covered. So players could just get talent guarantees & then self insure for injury. So if Revis locks in for $12mm/year, his personal injury insurance would be arounf $240k/year—kind of a pittance for him. Not sure I’, reading this wrong.
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Brendan-
Jason hit it on the head. Gholston (gulp!) is the young man in that group. Even if the Jets do get Marques Douglas back look at the ages of your key contributors:
Ellis — 33
Pouha — 31
Jenkins — 30
DeVito — 26
Gholston — 24Douglas — 33 (FA)
Are DeVito, Kroul (24), Pitoitua (25) the guys that the team is going to give this over to? If so, when? DeVito is already 26 and he’s the best of that bunch. The team needs some 22 year olds that came out of school highly rated and have 8-10 years to start on this line … I don’t think they have those guys in-house at the present time.
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I see the point, but I also think it’s not as big of a concern to the Jets FO as it is to the fans. They know that Rex can coach up talent on the D-line better than basically anyone in football. He doesn’t need studs up there, he needs lunch-pail players with high motors.
Do the Jets need an influx of younger players? Of course. But I don’t think wasting a first rounder on Odrick would be any better than using, for example, a fourth rounder (or later) on a D-lineman.
And Pouha is a young 31, don’t forget he took time off from the game to fulfill his Morman mission requirement. And also playing very sparingly early in his career, I would assume his tires have a lot more tread on them.
Do I think a line with Pouha, Gholston, Devito, Kroul and Pitoitua is ideal? Not at all. I also don’t think that will ever be the 5 player Rex brings with him on gameday. But I do think that Rex can take me, you, Bent, Jason & Hank and make us a serviceable unit. Maybe the Kool-Aid is rotting my brain, but I won’t really worry about the D-line until I see it not performing on gameday.
I think the more pressing upgrade is the WILL/DE pass rushing position. You get a game-changer at that spot, and all you need from your DL is guys to hold the line and take up blockers.
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SackDance99 says:
I agree with Brendan that there is no urgency to replace the DL because Rex is a wizard at getting the most from his D-linemen. Before 2009, I thought Pouha was a waste. Instead, he has become an integral part of the DL rotation. Moreover, whose to say Kroul or Pitoitua don’t end up being above-average NFL players? If DL is a concern in the future, I am convinced that Rex can either attract good FA talent at a reasonable cost or acquire (thru the draft or UDFA) replacement talent.
That being said, a healthy Jenkins raises the level of the defense because he’s an All Pro when he’s healthy. Jenkins may think about retirement, but he can make a boat load of money if he can play until he’s 35 and with a young family, it’s hard to turn down that kind of money. He has to learn how to condition and pace himself better and Rex has to use him wisely. If he plays several more years, the Jets will have ample time to groom a replacement.
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deuce4417 says:
i don’t know how many times this discussion has come up on here but again, the DL are just space takers. if they grab a couple sacks and a few big run stops then its all good. remember the back 8 are the playmakers in this d and thats not going to change no matter who you bring in. line backer/passrusher is the key
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neauone says:
Jenkins doesn’t have to be in on every play, I would like to see “whoever” come in a give him a breath every few downs. Keep him fresh for the final games of the season and in the playoffs let him off the leash. This is not new news it only solidify the fact that the Jets “MUST” address the DL next year or over the next few years.
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interested jet says:
I am sorry Bassett but the jets are too late (at last three years behind) in fortifying their defensive line. Look how the dolphins blocking schemes and their wildcat plays made swiss cheese out of the jets defense in both games last year. Take a look at the AFC championship game and the jets could not dominate the lines with (come on backups SIONE POUHA and “Spaghetti” Mike Devito) it was like fourth grade kids trying to get around the great wall of china (they couldn’t see past two inches of the man in front of them). If Rex was such a defensive genius why couldn’t he stop wes welker in the slot and lawrence maroney from burying the jets in foxboro last year. Wait…blame dwight lowery, drew coleman, hey even lito sheppard for that. IN REX WE TRUST right??? The jets had a chance last year but gave away the store for greene and sanchez, probably hurting themselves (no trade value) to pick up a defensive lineman in this year’s draft.
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Bent says:
Uhh, Hank, in the 2nd game against the Dolphins (without Jenkins, no less) the Jets held Miami to 104 TOTAL YARDS! That included 23-52 rushing. The wildcat gained like six yards total.
The Jets went to the AFC Title Game without Jenkins, winning 7 of 8 and had the number one defense in the NFL. That proved to me that their depth was fine and instead of wasting a high pick by reaching for a fifth round-level lineman, as the Pats did with Ron Brace, the Jets have put together a line that performed at a higher level than at any point during the Mangini era, at a reasonably low cost.
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Bent,
If you look back the on the wildcat plays especially in the third and fourth quarters you can see that when they needed to effectively run the ball down the jets throats Ronnie Brown moved through the line with ease. Rex will still have a difficult time this year with the dolphins wildcat because the number of variations and with Pat White included in some of the packages will force Rex to adjust rather than overwhelm their line with the blitzes. Shannahan (then the Broncos head coach) knew that the defensive line of the jets in 2008 could be worn down if jenkins could be taken out of the picture. The end result was Peyton Hillis gashing the jets for over 100 yards. At the time the jets strength was run defense and it was the first time the jets allowed a 100 yard rusher all season. Last year the jets strength was the pass defense and with jenkins out in the second Miami game the Miami dolphins center could take advantage of whoever he had in front of him. With the wildcat the staple of the dolphins offense at the time Henne could throw short passes to his tight ends and receivers breaking the back of the pass defense. Ultimately the dolphins blew the jets out and forced sanchez to win from behind which he could not do. Now that Henne has a legitmate receiving threat in Marshall the jets must rely on their third and fourth cornerbacks to hold the tight ends in check because if they don’t henne will pick the jets linebackers apart in coverage. Any quarterback who understands his position knows when he has a big bodied receiver in the open field who has room to run with will take advantage of throwing the football to him.
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So…when bent said “The wildcat gained like six yards total.” was that all on a single play? That would be the only way “Ronnie Brown moved through the line with ease” that game.
What was the Phins’ center doing when they were averaging 2.2 yards/carry on 23 carries in the second Jets/Phins game? Oh, that’s right, nothing. Like the entire offense. Because it gained 104 yards in four quarters. The team gained 1.8 yards per offensive play.
The Jets lost one game by four points and the other by five, which one of those constitutes a blowout?
And where on the field is Marshall going to have “room to run”? He’s either going up against Revis (’nuff said) or Cromartie who faster and more athletic than Marshall. Yeah, it’ll be like the Great Plains out there.
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Bent says:
Hank – You are taking one of the best defensive performances in franchise history and using it to criticize the defensive line, who were as big a part of this as anyone.
Okay, let’s look at all the wildcat plays in the game:
# 2-10-MIA 13 (2:39) MIA #75 Garner reports as eligible. Direct snap to #23 Brown, whom then handed off to #34 Williams. 34-R.Williams right end to MIA 14 for 1 yard (97-C.Pace, 93-M.Douglas).
# 3-9-MIA 14 (1:56) Direct snap to #23 Brown. 23-R.Brown pass incomplete short left to 81-J.Haynos (30-D.Coleman).
# 1-10-NYJ 32 (3:43) #75 Garner reports eligible Direct snap to #23 R. Brown 23-R.Brown right guard to NYJ 31 for 1 yard (95-H.Green, 99-B.Thomas).
2-9-NYJ 31 (2:55) Direct snap to #23 R. Brown 23-R.Brown sacked at NYJ 40 for -9 yards (sack split by 36-J.Leonhard and 99-B.Thomas).
# 3-2-NYJ 46 (13:52) Direct snap to #23 Brown. 23-R.Brown right guard to NYJ 33 for 13 yards (52-D.Harris).
# 1-10-NYJ 33 (13:08) Direct snap to #23 Brown. 23-R.Brown right tackle to NYJ 33 for no gain (97-C.Pace).
# 2-10-NYJ 33 (12:29) Direct snap to #23 Brown. 23-R.Brown left tackle to NYJ 33 for no gain (91-S.Pouha, 70-M.Devito).
So, he broke ONE run for thirteen yards and then was immediately stuffed twice in a row. In total, the wildcat accounted for a staggering six yards on seven plays. Other than that ONE run, the Dolphins gained 39 yards on 22 carries…less than two yards a carry. Other than that ONE run, Brown ran for 14 yards on 10 carries.
All of that without Jenkins? Pretty good if you ask me. The starting line (Pouha-Douglas-Ellis) combined for 15 tackles and three sacks.
You can make a case that the line was overmatched, but that game was absolutely not one of those times. They manhandled the Dolphins on pretty much every play (I was in the press box, so I had a great view of this).
Point to the loss against the Jags where they marched down the field easily in the first half and then you might have a point.
As for the 2008 game against Denver, all of the reasons the run defense struggled so badly are now on the Browns. Kenyon Coleman (two missed tackles), CJ Mosley and Abram Elam (one missed tackle) have been placed by DeVito, Douglas (probably) and Pool. Toss in a healthy Jenkins and that’s a big upgrade. Even Trusnik got 5 snaps and – most pertinent of all – Bowens was playing in place of an injured Harris.
Fear of God, Bassett?
I seem to remember Pouha and Devito doing a stellar job filling in for Big Jenks. I don’t think the team has the fear of anything when it comes to the D-line because Rex is a defensive line wizard.
It’s also awesome to have a guy with Jenks’ standing around the league (in terms of respect) come out and say Rex is the reason he’s still playing in the NFL. That shows other players, more than anything else, how seriously beloved our head coach is by his players.