With the goal of strengthening their depth and adding experience and a proven track record, the Eagles have signed linebacker Shaquille Leonard to a one-year contract as of Monday.
Leonard joins a linebacker corps that has faced challenges due to injuries. Nakobe Dean is on Injured Reserve with a foot injury, and Zach Cunningham missed Sunday’s game against the 49ers due to a hamstring injury. The Eagles currently have three off-ball linebackers on their active roster – Christian Elliss, Nicholas Morrow, and Ben VanSumeren.
Head Coach Nick Sirianni is well acquainted with Leonard from their time together with the Colts, where Leonard, a second-round draft pick (No. 36 overall), played from 2018 until recently. Leonard was a three-time first-team All-Pro, a second-team All-Pro once, and a three-time Pro Bowl player. He was also named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018.
Simply put, Leonard was a star from the moment he stepped onto an NFL field.
“He made a lot of plays, that’s for sure,” Sirianni said. “He had a knack for the football and how to get the football. What I remember is just how, as an offensive coordinator, how hard he was to throw around. His length was comparable to Jim Boeheim’s (former college head basketball coach) 2-3 zone at Syracuse. He’s going to make a play in the passing lane.”
“He was a great teammate and I really enjoyed being around him. I still have a relationship with him. I think he is a great person, great teammate, and like I said, the main thing was the ball and the length that come to mind with that.”
Injuries in the 2022 season, including one from offseason back surgery, as well as a broken nose and a concussion, limited his play, and Leonard only saw action in three games that season. This year, Leonard tallied 65 total tackles, including 2 for loss, in nine games.
He first visited the Dallas Cowboys and then the Eagles at the NovaCare Complex last Wednesday before deciding to join Philadelphia. On that day, Sirianni discussed his “pitch” to Leonard about joining the Eagles.
“All I’ll ever do is just be honest with him and tell him what the situation is here, what the situation is in this building,” Sirianni said. “I think the pitch is just the guys that we have in this building, and some of them he has a prior relationship, too. I want Shaq to make the decision that’s best for him. Because, again, when there is that prior relationship you want to make sure – and that’s what I said to him, ‘I just want you to make the best decision for you. Take all the information from both places and do what’s best for you.’
“So, I’ve called him a bunch the last couple of days, and, shoot, he’ll make the decision that’s best for him. I’m confident in that. He’s a good person.”
Now he’s an Eagle, bringing his experience and talent to help the Eagles through the rest of the 2023 season.
