Professional career
Pre-draft
On December 31, 2017, Jefferson released a statement through The Player's Tribune announcing his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL Draft.[16] Jefferson ignored recommendations from the College Advisory Board to return to college and chose to enter the draft instead. He attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and completed the majority of drills, but opted to skip the three-cone drill and short shuttle. On March 28, 2018, he participated at Texas' pro day and performed the vertical jump (37"), short shuttle, and three-cone drill. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Jefferson was projected to be a second-round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked the second-best inside linebacker prospect in the draft by DraftScouts.com and was ranked the eighth-best linebacker by Scouts Inc. and Sports Illustrated.[17][18]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Malik Jefferson's Combine Workout | |
| Malik Jefferson's 40-yard dash |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+1⁄4 in (1.89 m) |
236 lb (107 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9+5⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
4.52 s | 1.59 s | 2.67 s | 4.18 s | 7.12 s | 36 in (0.91 m) |
10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) |
27 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[19] | ||||||||||||
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Jefferson in the third round (78th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. Jefferson was the 11th linebacker drafted in 2018.[20]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Bengals draft Malik Jefferson 78th overall |
On June 21, 2018, the Bengals signed Jefferson to a four-year, $3.59 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $923,728.[21] He played in 10 games before being placed on injured reserve on December 18, 2018 with a foot injury.[22]
Jefferson was waived during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019.[23]
Cleveland Browns
Jefferson was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns on September 1, 2019.[24] On November 12, 2019, Jefferson was waived by the Browns.[25]
Los Angeles Chargers
On November 25, 2019, Jefferson was signed to the practice squad of the Los Angeles Chargers.[26] He signed a futures contract with the Chargers on December 30, 2019.[27]
On September 5, 2020, Jefferson was waived by the Chargers.[28]
Tennessee Titans
On September 9, 2020, Jefferson was signed to the Tennessee Titans practice squad,[29] but was released five days later.[30]
Los Angeles Chargers (second stint)
On September 16, 2020, Jefferson was signed to the Chargers practice squad.[31] He was promoted to the active roster on September 26, 2020.[32] On January 1, 2021, Jefferson was placed on injured reserve.[33] He was waived after the season on March 12, 2021.[34]
Indianapolis Colts
On May 5, 2021, Jefferson signed with the Indianapolis Colts.[35] He was waived on August 31, 2021 and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[36][37] He was promoted to the active roster on December 15.[38] He was waived on January 4, 2022.[39] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 10, 2022.[40] He was released on May 10, 2022.[41]
Dallas Cowboys
On July 14, 2022, Jefferson signed with the Dallas Cowboys.[42] On August 30, he was waived and signed to the practice squad the next day.[43][44] On December 14, the Cowboys released him. On December 20, he was signed to the practice squad. On January 30, 2023, he was released.
On February 8, 2023, the Cowboys signed him to a reserve/future contract. He was waived on August 29, 2023 and re-signed to the practice squad.[45][46]
