Getty Images Shaquille Leonard of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Former All-Pro linebacker Shaq Leonard has no shortage of motivation since signing with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Leonard, a three-time first-team All-Pro, was released by the Indianapolis Colts on November 21, in the midst of a season that saw his role dramatically increased. Following the Eagles’ 33-25 win over the New York Giants on Christmas Day, Leonard took aim at his former team.
“The Colts wrote me off,” Leonard said, according to Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Talked down on my name. I’m here to prove it, prove I can still play, prove I can still make plays.”
Shaq Leonard, after he finished with team-high 7 tackles and his first sack since 2020:
“They wrote me off, talked down on my name. I’m here to prove it, prove I can still play, prove I can still make plays.”
Leonard did not request his release by the Colts, but he did make several comments while there questioning his diminished playing time.
In his finest performance in an Eagles uniform, Leonard produced a team-high seven tackles and logged his first sack since the 2020 season.
“To get a sack for the first time in three seasons feels amazing,” Leonard told reporters. “I’m starting to get my groove a little bit. I’m kind of getting comfortable. Understanding the techniques, responsibilities, and being able to play without thinking.”
Eagles’ Win ‘Special’ for Shaq Leonard
Leonard’s Eagles arrival on December 4 followed disappointing losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks.
So, Monday’s game gave Leonard his first taste of winning in an Eagles uniform in front of the passionate fans at Lincoln Financial Field.
“It feels amazing,” Leonard said, according to Tim McManus of ESPN. “It’s my first one, my first one as an Eagle. No matter how we got it, I’m happy. I get to go home and spend this Christmas with my girls happy, rather than being upset.”
Since signing with the Eagles, Leonard has produced 13 total tackles with a sack and could prove to be a key veteran presence over the final two games and in Philadelphia’s postseason run.
Nick Sirianni Not Satisfied With Eagles’ Victory
As the Eagles have found out over the past month, it is difficult to win in the NFL.
Monday’s victory over the Giants ended a three-game losing streak that seems to have served as a wakeup call for the reigning conference champions.
After the game, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni acknowledged that his team still has much work to do in order to return to form.
“Obviously,” Sirianni told reporters. “Got some things to clean up, but good energy to get back on the right side of things. Always a better feeling correcting the tape after a win than a loss, that’s for sure.
“We needed to get out of the funk that we were in, and sometimes that’s just by getting a win, and I thought there was a lot of good things out there today.”
Sirianni’s concern about getting out of a recent funk echo a similar sentiment shared by star wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
“Eleven wins?” Smith told reporters following Monday’s game. “We’re not playing good football right now. As an offense, we’re not where we want to be. I’m not satisfied. Yeah, we got 11 wins. I’m not happy. It needs to be better for what I want to do, what everybody else in here wants to do, what we want to be. We’re nowhere near that so no I’m not happy.”
The Eagles have two more chances to get right, against the Arizona Cardinals and Giants to close out the regular season.