The Philadelphia Eagles were trounced in Week 13 by the San Francisco 49ers, losing 42-19. They are going to try and get back on track in Week 14 in a huge matchup against the Dallas Cowboys that will go a long way in determining the NFC East champion this season.
Before the teams face off on Sunday Night Football, the Eagles have already beaten the Cowboys in one aspect. Philadelphia is where free agent linebacker Shaquille Leonard opted to sign, spurning Dallas.
Leonard met with both teams and was linked to a few others, but ultimately landed on the Eagles. In the opinion of former All-Pro turn analyst Richard Sherman, Leonard made his choice based on which team gave him the best chance to win a Super Bowl ring.
While that likely played a part, it wasn’t the only thing that drew Leonard to the Eagles. While speaking to a group of reporters on Wednesday, he revealed the reasons why he picked Philadelphia over Dallas.
“Nick (Sirianni) and I were together when was in Indy. Nick was a great coach, great competitor. We had a bond when we was in Indy, so we kind of just went with that,” Leonard said, via Colts beat writer James Boyd of The Athletic on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Relationships built throughout the league matter and Leonard proved that again. The Cowboys didn’t have anything to compete with when it came to familiarity, as current Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coordinator from 2018-2020, which were Leonard’s first three seasons in the NFL.
Despite not working together directly, Sirinni and Leonard were able to build a bond during their time together on the Colts. The Eagles are now benefitting from that greatly, as the former All-Pro will provide a boost to the second level of their defense.
In nine games with the Colts this season, Leonard had 65 total tackles with two tackles for loss. His role with the team changed, something he voiced his frustrations with, as he wasn’t playing on third downs and began splitting early down work near the end of his tenure there, too. Once a top linebacker in the NFL, the Eagles are hoping that he can regain the form he showed prior to the back surgeries that have impacted him in 2022 and 2023.
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