Following an injury to one of their leaders in tackles this season, the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly taking a hard look at signing a recently released three-time All-Pro.
While it hasn’t always been easy, and they had to fight back from deficits the last two weeks, the Eagles are having a fantastic season and have the top record in the NFL standings at 10-1. They won their fifth straight on Sunday with another showcase of their talented offense in a 37-34 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
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However, while they were victorious on Sunday afternoon, they did suffer a notable setback that will be logged on the injury report in the weeks ahead. During their Week 12 game, linebacker Zach Cunningham was knocked from the game with a hamstring injury.
The seven-year veteran is second on the team in tackles, only behind safety Reed Blankenship, and his absence will certainly be felt for however long he is sidelined. With a clear understanding of the notable void the injury creates, it seems that the Eagles may pounce on a unique opportunity that presented itself last week.
Philadelphia Eagles interested in signing 3-time All-Pro Shaq Leonard
Following Week 11, the Indianapolis Colts made the surprise decision to end their relationship with linebacker Shaquille Leonard after six seasons. After reports last week that the Dallas Cowboys were showing interest in the four-time Pro Bowler, CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson revealed on Monday that “the Eagles now have increasing interest in pursuing free agent LB Shaq Leonard.”
Leonard seemed to be on a path to becoming one of the best Colts defensive players of all time after a fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance in 2021. However, injuries limited him to just three games in 2022, and he has fallen out of grace this season with new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
- Shaquille Leonard stats (2023): 9 games, 65 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
Nevertheless, at only 28 years old, it makes sense for Philly to give him an opportunity to see if a change of scenery and style of play could help him return to his superstar form of two seasons ago.