After signing with an NFC foe, the All-Pro target for the Vikings is lost.

In the thick of Brian Flores’ swarming defense, the Minnesota Vikings could have used another player worthy of a

Pro Bowl, but it was not meant to be.

After the Indianapolis Colts dismissed three-time All-Pro Darius Shaquille Leonard on November 21, Minnesota

gave him a close look, but the linebacker finally decided to play elsewhere.

On Monday, December 4, Grant Gordon of NFL.com tweeted, “Leonard has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with

the Philadelphia Eagles.” Following his initial visit with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, Leonard met with the

Eagles on Wednesday. As the defending NFC champs attempt to win a Super Bowl once more, he has chosen to stick

with Philadelphia in first place for the final stretch.

Just 48 hours after Leonard’s tenure with the Colts came to an unexpected end, on Thanksgiving Day, Dianna

Russini of The Athletic revealed the Vikings’ interest in Leonard.

After agreeing to a five-year, $98.25 million contract extension in 2021, Leonard played his final few seasons in

Indianapolis until injuries sidelined him, according to Russini. “At this point, teams who are still in the running, like

the Vikings, Eagles, and Cowboys, are ‘gathering information’ about him. A league insider stated that Leonard might

deliberate slowly.

Although Leonard hasn’t publicly stated his reasons for signing with the Eagles before even holding meetings with

the Vikings, a quick read between the lines indicates that the 28-year-old linebacker is hoping to win a Super Bowl

and believes Philadelphia offered him the best chance to do so. If so, Leonard’s opinion was most likely influenced by

Minnesota’s two straight losses to the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos, which lowered the Vikings to 6-6.

The Vikings defense has taken on an unfair amount of responsibility in order to keep the team competitive after

quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide out Justin Jefferson suffered injuries, and after Josh Dobbs’ play declined after

garnering headlines across the country for a few weeks. A week ago on Monday Night Football in Minneapolis, the

unit gave up just 12 points to the Bears; nevertheless, the Vikings’ 10 scores on offense and four interceptions lost

them the game.

Like Minnesota, Philadelphia can present Leonard with a strong defense to join. But the Eagles can also promise him

a definite postseason trip and an offense that produces results every week, two things that are still up in the air in

Minneapolis when the team returns from its bye week.

Now that Leonard is out of the picture, the Vikings are more likely to make it through the final stretch with their

current roster.

The NFL Staff of Bleacher Report said on Monday, “If the Vikings were going to add someone for the end-of-the-year

stretch, it probably would have happened during the bye.” “They’re determined to sort things out with the people in

the building, and Jefferson’s comeback ought to be beneficial too. Marcus Davenport has also now qualified to return

from injured reserve, meaning the team will have no shortage of support in the near future.

After signing a one-year, $13 million contract in the offseason, Davenport, who was sidelined by injury for a large

portion of the 2023 season, has only appeared in four games for Minnesota. Nevertheless, in those four games, he

has recorded six pressures, four quarterback hits, and two sacks. He should provide a significant amount of output

when lining up opposite Danielle Hunter, who has shown herself to be one of the NFL’s top edge-rushers this season.

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