Former Colts LB Shaquille Leonard joins Eagles in one-year deal

o d – live.staticflickr.com

Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard signed a one-year contract deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.

Before deciding to join the Eagles, Leonard visited the Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys to assess their performances. The 28-year-old eventually joined the Eagles after watching their performance against the Buffalo Bills.

Leonard emerged as the perfect fit at the right time, addressing Philadelphia’s ongoing struggles in the linebacker position. The issue arose when Nakobe Dean entered the injured reserve due to a foot injury on November 16.

The situation worsened when Dean’s replacement, Zach Cunningham, sustained a hamstring injury, leading to the Eagles’ 19-42 loss against Buffalo on Sunday.

Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni was likely the reason Leonard joined the Eagles. Sirianni cited their close relationship from their time together with the Colts when commenting on the acquisition.

“I just thought you can learn so much from good players. Just think about how he went about, how he attacked the day, and also how he saw the game, as an offensive coach,” said Sirianni.

“That was always a good perspective talking to him, and I just had so much respect for him.”

Rough pre-Eagles issues

Leonard had a rough time before joining the Eagles despite his stellar on-the-field performance.

Despite starting as one of the most promising rookie entries in the Colts’ history, Indianapolis relegated him to limited roles after several changes in the team’s offensive and defensive schemes.

When current Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberfluss was in charge of Indianapolis, he allowed Leonard to his preferred resort to hit-and-run tactics. However, after Eberfluss, the Colts only gave him limited defensive snaps, leading to his frustration with the new scheme.

“I’m not as free as I once was in the defense before, so it’s kind of hard to see splash plays,” said Leonard.

Health issues were also another concern. The linebacker had to undergo surgery during the 2021 offseason to correct his back nerves. This led to him missing the first three weeks of the 2022 season. He experienced a concussion and a broken nose in Week 4, followed by another setback with a back injury before Week 10, ultimately ending his stint with the Colts.

Leonard recorded 15 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, 30 tackles for loss and 614 tackles since joining the NFL.