Eagles sign linebacker Shaquille Leonard

Shaquille Leonard (All Pro Reels, Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Associated Press on Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles have signed three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquille Leonard of Nichols, South Carolina. The signing comes after Leonard was released by the Indianapolis Colts on November 21.

In 2023, Leonard had 65 combined tackles (34 solo tackles and 31 assisted tackles), and two tackles for a loss. The two tackles for a loss came in two Colts’s losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The first came on September 10 in a 31-21 Indianapolis loss and the second came on October 15 in a 37-20 Indianapolis loss.

In 70 regular season games, Leonard has 614 combined tackles (385 solo tackles, and 229 assisted tackles), 32 tackles for a loss, 20 quarterback hits, 12 interceptions for 157 yards, one pick six, 31 pass deflections, 17 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries for 34 yards and 15 sacks. The pick six came off of Tampa Bay Buccaneers’s quarterback Jameis Winston on December 8, 2019. Leonard’s interception return for a touchdown was for 80 yards and came in a 38-35 Colts loss. It was the year Winston led the NFL in interceptions thrown with 30.

Leonard was selected to the Pro Bowl the next three seasons from 2019 to 2021. In 2021, he led the NFL with eight forced fumbles.

After Leonard was released, he received high praise from the Indianapolis community. On American Thanksgiving, he was seen handing out turkeys, and then was seen in a suite with his family cheering for his old Colts’s team on November 26 in a 27-20 Colts win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Eagles meanwhile are in need of an improvement on defense. On Sunday, they lost 42-19 to the San Francisco 49ers.