CNN announced on Monday that veteran New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins will be joining the network as a contributor.

"Now more than ever, the public needs to be educated on the roles of elected positions of power, such as the district attorney, police chief or city council and how to hold those individuals accountable, especially through their voice and their vote," Jenkins said in a statement. "In an important election year, I’m eager to join the CNN family and share my perspective as a regular contributor."

Jenkins, 32, has written op-eds for CNN in the past, as well as penned pieces for the New York Times and Washington Post.

Heading into his 12th season and second stint with the Saints, Jenkins has long been at the forefront of athlete activism.

In 2010, he started the Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, a mentorship program aimed with a focus on education and life skills in underserved communities. Jenkins, along with the now-retired Anquan Boldin, started the Players Coalition in 2015, an advocacy group focused on issues of racial and social injustice.

Earlier this month, Jenkins was outspoken in his criticism of teammate Drew Brees's comments on kneeling during the playing of the national anthem as disrespectful of the anthem and service people. Brees has since apologized for and recanted his remarks.

Prior to rejoining the Saints - with whom Jenkins won Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 - this offseason, the OSU product spent the past six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning Super Bowl LII in 2018.