The departure of Malcolm Jenkins from the Philadelphia Eagles after six seasons marks the end of an era, one that brought the city its first Super Bowl title and cemented Jenkins as one of the team's finest leaders.
While it appears Jenkins and the Eagles were too far apart to reconcile contract negotiations, it's clear that the decision to move on was difficult for both sides.
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Jenkins, who has been the team's rock on defense, was more than a football player in Philadelphia. He's the kind of athlete who sets an example in the community and takes pride in the responsibility of acting as a role model.
Following yesterday's news that Jenkins will become a free agent, the safety posted a heartfelt message thanking the city of Philadelphia and pledging to be back.
Jenkins, 32, likely has a few good seasons left in the tank and will be a significant upgrade to any team that adds him to their defensive backfield.
When it's all said and done, it sounds like Jenkins has every intention to make Philadelphia his permanent home, following in the footsteps of other plays, such as Connor Barwin, who adopted the city as their own. Barwin has since taken a front office job with the Eagles. Even Brian Dawkins, who left Philadelphia in 2009 under circumstances similar to Jenkins, came back for a period as a team employee and retired as an Eagle.
Jenkins' charitable contributions to Philadelphia and his advocacy for underserved parts of the community will forever be appreciated and welcome when he's ready to return home.