Malcolm Jenkins offers his love letter to the Eagles faithful

Sometimes, we use words and phrases so frequently that they lose their steam. Acronyms like G.O.A.T. qualify, as does calling someone a genius, a warrior, and an icon. Do you see what we mean? Everyone can't be the G.O.A.T.

Here's another of those phrases. How about 'freak of nature'? As we near Malcolm Jenkins' induction into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, each of those descriptions seems worthy. Nothing seems overstated. Nothing seems extra or exaggerated.

Malcolm Jenkins does rank among the greatest. He is a warrior, genius, and icon, and when we say 'freak of nature', one can only smile. Iron Man is a Marvel character, but if he somehow leaped off the comic book's page, he would transform spontaneously into Malcolm Jenkins' likeness.

Malcolm Jenkins pens his love letter to the Eagles' organization.

Malcolm Jenkins spent six NFL seasons as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. He never missed a defensive snap, minus the 2017 season when he sat out of the regular-season finale to rest before a Super Bowl run.

He finished that season having played 947 snaps, 92% of the overall total. He also played 144 special teams snaps that season. His other five in green produced 5,441 defensive snaps and 886 on special teams. We mentioned he was a freak of nature, right?

One day after Thanksgiving, he comes home to be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame alongside former executive Bucko Kilroy. Three days before his enshrinement, he wrote Birds fans a letter, one shared by way of the team's official webpage.

"Philly, we're back together again. And this time, it's forever. When I left the Eagles in 2020, I said it felt like a breakup. I meant that. You don't just walk away from something that shaped you, challenged you, and held you accountable without feeling like a piece of you was left behind. What I didn't know then was that love doesn't always require proximity. If it's real, it will find its way back. Today, being inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame feels like finding my way home."

Had he ended his thought right there, he wouldn't have needed to state anything else. He continued. The second half of his love letter was even more beautiful, poignant, and powerful than the first half.

"I've always believed my legacy matters more than anything. And when I say legacy, I'm not talking about money or attention. I mean what I leave behind when I'm no longer here. Legacy is like planting a tree that bears fruit long after the planter is gone. To be honored like this, in my first year of eligibility, as the first player from our Super Bowl team to join the Eagles Hall of Fame, is one of the most humbling moments of my life. The seeds I planted long ago are still bearing fruit. I look at the names of Eagles defenders already in the Hall – Brian Dawkins, Reggie White, Eric Allen – men I grew up watching, admiring, and learning from. To sit among them now, no longer as a fan, but as a peer, is a tremendous honor."

Few could lead and motivate like Malcolm Jenkins. Few were more deserving of the captain's patch. We advise reading his full letter to take everything in.

If we weren't so happy for him, we'd probably be in tears by now, but give it time. There are a lot of emotions that we expect to be stirred between now and seeing his name placed among so many Eagles legends and immortals.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Malcolm Jenkins offers his love letter to the Eagles faithful