Eagles LB Shaquille Leonard signs one-year agreement.
After losing 42-19 to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Shaquille Leonard sweepstakes. Philadelphia announced a one-year contract with the former All-Pro linebacker on Monday afternoon.
Over the previous week, the former Indianapolis Colts star visited the Eagles and Cowboys to choose between them.
Leonard enters a linebacker room seeking advice after seeing Eagles linebackers struggle against the conference's second-best club.
Christian Elliss, Nicholas Morrow, and Ben VanSumeren played Sunday without Nakobe Dean (foot) and Zach Cunningham (hamstring). It was disastrous as each 49ers talent player made the group seem ridiculous.
Receiver Deebo Samuel scored a touchdown after Morrow missed a tackle, while Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle both made big plays with Morrow as the closest defender.
Leonard, a three-time first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, was released by the Colts in November. Leonard struggled to regain form after two back operations in 2022. The Colts first said they were benching the 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year and he would practice.
The brass released the linebacker a day later. "It was the biggest surprise ever," Leonard told ESPN. It shocked me.
His 10-2 Eagles squad hopes to return to the Super Bowl in two seasons. Philadelphia's next game is a huge Sunday night matchup against the Dallas Cowboys (9-3) that will affect NFC East and postseason rankings.