Former Eagles Linebacker Contemplates Playing Again Vs. Retirement

It's never wise to discount the possibility of another linebacker joining the Eagles, but would this former All-Pro be fully healthy after back surgery?

Dec 25, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Shaquille Leonard (53) reacts after a defensive stop against the New York Giants during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Shaq Leonard was with the Eagles for five games last year.

The Eagles were so desperate for linebacker help that, after 13 weeks of a season that was about to see the bottom drop out, they beat out the Dallas Cowboys for his services shortly after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts.

Leonard did his best to keep the Philly afloat, making 11 tackles with one sack in just 164 defensive snaps. Really though, the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 shouldn’t have been playing at all.

He had only begun walking just a couple weeks before training camp with the Colts began last summer, the result of back surgery to repair a nerve injury that had affected his lower body enough to limit him to just three games in 2022.

During a candid moment in the locker room during that five-game stretch, Leonard admitted that he wasn’t close to 100 percent and would be better served to continue rehabbing. Except, he added, he loved the game too much to not play it.

So it is that Leonard is still hoping to play.

The three-time, first-team AP All-Pro was outside of Indianapolis on Saturday at an event for his Maniac Foundation said he is peace with his career should this be the end of it.

“I think throughout my career I've had a great career, even if I do step away from it,” he told the Indianapolis Star. “... I'm enjoying life and just waiting on that opportunity."

The Eagles would seem like a team that fits the opportunity. The linebacking spot is once again being remade by general manager Howie Roseman after choosing that position to invest minimal resources in and hope for the best.

Last August, Roseman fortified the position after Nakobe Dean suffered a left ankle injury during training camp, signing a pair of free-agent linebackers – Zach Cunningham and Myles Jack.

Cunningham proved to be a solid addition, and he is also waiting for the phone to ring. Jack retired then changed his mind and returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like Leonard and Cunningham, he is also a free agent.

Still, it’s a longshot that Leonard returns to Philly. It would be a premature end, with him set to turn just 29 shortly after training camps around the league open at the end of July,

“I'm moreso just sitting back, getting the body healthy, and whenever the opportunity presents itself, we'll give it a try," Leonard said to the Indy Star. "I just continue to be me by working hard. If it happens, it happens. If it don't, it don't.”

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