Janoris "Jackrabbit" Jenkins will be wearing blue in Week 10, but he'll still be taking a stroll down memory lane when the Saints come to town.
The veteran cornerback was a cut in a cost-cutting move after the 2020 season as the Saints shed more than $100 million to get under the salary cap. It's a move GM Mickey Loomis said they'd have probably done differently with more financial leeway.
But Jenkins found a new home and immediate success with the Tennessee Titans and their AFC-best 7-2 start to the season. And he's been sharing space in his head as teammates mine it for tips and tricks when the teams match up in Week 10.
"I’m gonna give them as much as I know. Tannehill has already been in my head already. Guys in the defensive backs room have been in my head," Jenkins said this week.
Jenkins arrived in New Orleans through a waiver claim late in the 2019 season, ultimately restructuring his deal to remain with the team through 2020. He logged 55 tackles, 14 passes defensed and four interceptions, the most notable a pick-6 in the opener against Tom Brady and the Bucs.
It's not unusual for former players to have extra insight into their former team's workings, and Jenkins' study group isn't anything the Saints haven't dealt with previously. But it is a reminder that the defensive group might have to change up some of their communication, checks, signals and the like -- or be at risk of tipping their plans to the opponent. Because if Jenkins hears something he remembers, he's making sure it's called out.
"I’m gonna give him as much tips as I can remember, and if I hear some calls on the field that I know and I remember I’ll let them know," Jenkins said.
Teams regularly shuffle terminology and sets, so in the end it will likely be just another tough cornerback matchup for the Saints' inconsistent WR group. It could even be used as an advantage, systematically changing staple terminology to mean something else -- with the opponent guessing they've got it called.
But keep an eye out for moments when the Titans appeared to be reading the Saints' playbook, because Jenkins certainly will be.
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