“They are desperate!” – Shaquille Leonard chooses the Eagles over the Cowboys as he signs a 1-year contract, fans react

The Eagles' add the 2018's Defensive Rookie of the Year on their roster to cover the injured department of the team.

“They are desperate!” – Shaquille Leonard chooses the Eagles over the Cowboys as he signs a 1-year contract, fans react

Shaquille Leonard (Via Imago)

Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard chose the Philadelphia Eagles over the Dallas Cowboys, as per Bleacher Report. There was hype that the Cowboys would register him for the ongoing season. However, things took a different turn in reality as the LB signed with the Eagles on Monday for the rest of the season.

The LB had even visited the Cowboys and expressed his desire to play for them. Nonetheless, the Eagles had the last laugh as they signed former Indianapolis Colts as LB.

Leonard is one of the veteran defensive players in the league. The 28-year-old has several records on his name. Leonard was the first choice for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2018. He became a nightmare for the offensive players of the opposition with his ability to hunt them down.

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In his five-and-a-half-year-long tenure with the Colts, the LB registered 614 combined tackles, 32 for loss, 31 passes defended, 17 forced fumbles, 15 sacks, 12 interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and one touchdown.

Leonard became the highest-paid off-the-ball linebacker in 2021 when the Colts offered him a huge contract of $99.25 million. It was a gratitude for the service that the LB provided to their team.

However, things started declining in the year 2021. The LB played with a leg injury in the season. Though he was at his level best with eight forced fumbles, it cost him later. The leg injury was determined as a nerve issue on the back and Leonard had to have surgery. In the 2022 season, the LB missed the first six games and later suffered a season-ending injury.

This season, Leonard openly criticized the Colts’ management for not providing him with proper playing time. This led to his departure from the team.

Fans accuse Shaquille Leonard as a sign of the Eagles’ desperation

The signing, however, has seen few netizens make accusations of the Eagles management of desperation, while some have lauded them for upping the Cowboys.

Nick Sirianni
Nick Sirianni (Via SI)

They went to X and expressed their opinions. Check some of the comments that they made.

https://twitter.com/KT_3410/status/1731760488231358800
https://twitter.com/ToneNYG/status/1731760135675027866
https://twitter.com/jc4Run/status/1731778865490534427

The move by the Eagles was not unexpected. Nick Sirianni, the head coach of the Eagles, has a likeness of Leonard. Sirianni worked with the LB before. As an OC of the Colts, he always found it hard to challenge Leonard, and that gave birth to his recruiting of the 2018 rookie DPOY. 

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 2-3 zone at Syracuse. He's going to make a play in the passing lane.

The Eagles are dealing with injury concerns this year. Their two LBs, Nakobe Dean and Zach Cunningham, are injured. After the blowout loss against the 49ers, their defensive liabilities are also open. With all these scenarios playing, Leonard can be an excellent option to help them out. Considering all these, the Eagles signed the linebacker with a one-year contract.

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