Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins knows he should be making plenty of off-field money right now. He knows he isn’t because of his activism.
Jenkins told Louisa Thomas of The Athletic that some sponsors have chosen to not work with him due to his prominent stance on political issues. But Jenkins is fine with that.
“All of that was to be understood when I stepped into this realm,” Jenkins said, via SportsBusiness Daily. “To me, that’s worth it.”
Still, Jenkins realizes the extent of the sacrifice.
“I’m a Pro Bowl player, just won the Super Bowl,” Jenkins said. “I should be able to get almost any endorsement that I want, but oftentimes we get to the table and someone says, ‘We don’t want to use him, because of all the things that are going on, maybe at a later time when it’s died down.’ I’ve heard that a lot. But it’s to be understood.”
That doesn’t make it right, but right and wrong don’t matter in situations like this. Business is business, and if there’s any chance that an association with a protesting player will hurt the brand, the company will be inclined to shy away.
