PHILADELPHIA – Shaq Leonard’s decision should come on Monday. It’s between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys as to which team he wants to play for next.

The Eagles may want to up their offer to the free-agent linebacker, though that may not be enough. If Leonard wants to win a ring, he couldn’t have liked to see what he saw from the Eagles in being destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers, 42-19, at home on Sunday.

Still, the Eagles have to put on the fullcourt press now despite the Indianapolis Colts cutting him outright even though they are in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt and the fact that he had not one but two back surgeries last year.

They need him.

The Eagles’ linebackers were simply not good enough on Sunday, and, really, it’s been a struggle for the unit most of the year.

The 49ers have some very good playmakers, but Philly made it easy for them, allowing San Fran receivers to run open in the middle of the field and on short underneath throws. They allowed them to turn short throws into big gains and, once again, a tight end to pummel them.

This time, it was George Kittle, who made four catches for 68 yards, including receptions for 32 and 25 yards.

The game plan against the Eagles is simple – attack the middle of the field, run to the edge and make the linebackers try to win a foot race, or run right at them.

“They kind of attacked our weaknesses, I guess,” said safety Kevin Byard. “I don’t know. There weren’t a lot of plays deep down the field in air yards, it was a lot of five-yard gains turning into 30 or 40. Just leaving guys wide open, things like that. We just didn’t execute good enough.”

Byard didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to. The obvious deficiency is at linebacker.

When you have to promote the 53-man roster undrafted rookie free agent Ben VanSumeren, who is still very much a work in progress, and start Christian Elliss for the very first time in his three-year career, it is very much a weakness.

Nick Morrow missed a tackle on Deebo Samuel, allowing him to turn a short throw into a 48-yard touchdown that turned a 21-13 game into 28-13 with 3:54 to play in the third quarter.

The real criminal act was throwing Elliss to the wolves. Elliss, a standout special team player, made his first start not because he had earned it, but because the Eagles needed him.

Elliss did his very best, making five tackles, including one for a loss, and even prepared as best he could, calling his brother Kaden Elliss, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, to get some tips.

“Visualization was the thing,” he said. “My older brother who plays for Atlanta, that’s what he was talking about, visualize yourself making the play, visualize yourself having the coaches tell you good job on the sideline so you don’t miss tackles.

“You visualize it countless times. Then you go through your job. Against a team like this, especially me coming in, I was just trying to do my job, do my part in the defense, not try to do anything extra.”

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The Eagles had nobody else to put in after Zach Cunningham was ruled out on Friday with a hamstring injury, an injury that could cost him another game, which just so happens to be against the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday night in Dallas.

Elliss was overwhelmed in the run game, allowing the 49ers to rush for 146 yards. He was OK against the pass, but not good enough.

“Looking at my gameplay, there are things I could’ve done better, things I could’ve helped the team accomplish,” he said. “It’s a learning point.”

Learning points are good for a team that is playing out the string, not for one looking to mail down the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

That’s not to lay this at the feet of Elliss.

Look at the Eagles’ running game. It managed all of 46 yards. There were just 10 carries for the running backs. Granted, the Eagles fell behind by double-digits once again, so passing became more and more of a necessity.

After the first quarter, however, the Eagles led 6-0.

The linebacker situation, however, is the most glaring deficiency on defense.

The Eagles were counting heavily on Nakobe Dean, but he is likely done for the season after a second injury to his foot this year. He played five games this year.

They just don’t invest a lot of resources at the position, otherwise, it would have made sense to re-sign T.J. Edwards in the offseason, or, at the very least, Kyzir White. That needs to change next offseason.

That doesn’t help right now, though. The Eagles are desperate.

Perhaps desperate enough to give Leonard whatever he wants and cross their fingers that he is healthy and a change of scenery will help him find his groove again.

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