The Eagles were losing badly to Malcolm Jenkins‘ former team, so after he was beaten for a 37-yard touchdown by Alvin Kamara on fourth-and-seven, the safety gave Saints coach Sean Payton the finger.
And not the index finger, indicating the Saints are the best team in football, something the Eagles said after last season.
NBC Sports Philadelphia caught Jenkins’ gesture on camera.
“I’m a competitor,” Jenkins told John Clark. “I love Sean to death, and I know what type of guy and what type of coach he is. And so that was more so personal between me and him.”
Jenkins said he talked to Payton after the game.
“It’s all good,” Jenkins said. “I know Sean. They’re going to go for it. I was more so upset that it was on me. I’ve got a lot of respect for what they’re doing, especially Sean.”
Jenkins spent the first five seasons of his career in New Orleans before the Saints let him leave in free agency in 2014. The Saints signed Jairus Byrd, while Jenkins signed with the Eagles.
Unsolicited, Payton brought up Jenkins in his postgame press conference.
“Malcolm, I think the world of him,” Payton said, via Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune. “He’s a tremendous player, and I hate that he got out of here. That was probably as big a mistake as we’ve made here in 13 years. He’s made up of all the right things, and he’s a tremendous competitor.”