Janoris Jenkins released by Giants after using slur on social media

Former Pro Bowl cornerback Janoris Jenkins was released by the New York Giants on Friday, two days after using a slur on social media.

Coach Pat Schurmur said in a statement that the incident and Jenkins’ “refusal to acknowledge the inappropriate and offensive language, was the determining factor.”

The Twitter exchange occurred after Jenkins posted some of his statistics from this season, including four interceptions and 50 total tackles. A fan commented that those numbers are “irrelevant” since they haven’t contributed to many victories for the 2-11 Giants.

Jenkins responded, “I can only do my job,” followed by the word “retard,” a slur which Special Olympics officials say has “negative effects on people with intellectual disabilities, as well as their families and friends.”

Asked about his use of the word, Jenkins, a former second-round draft pick by the Rams, said: “It’s just part of my culture, part of my slang that I use. I wasn’t calling nobody no name; like I said, I wasn’t picking on nobody, I wasn’t throwing shade at nobody, it’s just slang that I use back at home with my homeboys or whatever.”

Jenkins was asked if he regretted using that word.

“Yeah, I regret it but at the end of the day like I said it’s my slang, so if you take it how you gonna take it then that’s on you,” he said. “I don’t mean to offend nobody. My dad always told me speak freely and own up to what you say. So I always speak freely as a man.”

He also wrote on Twitter, “My apology for the word I used earlier, really didn’t mean no “HARM.”

But Schurmur and the Giants decided they’d had enough.

“This was an organizational decision,” Shurmur said. “From ownership to management to our football operations, we felt it was in the best interests of the franchise and the player.”

Jenkins took to Twitter again Friday to apparently signal his pleasure with the team’s decision to part ways after almost four seasons.

“Best news ever,” he tweeted. “Thank you.”