ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14 in what is sure to be a hotly contested matchup between the two top teams in the NFC East, but it wasn’t their first battle this week.
Owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones is already nursing a loss to Philadelphia when three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard announced on Monday that he was bypassing an offer to join the Cowboys in favor of signing with the hated Eagles.
Speaking about Leonard’s landing spot during his weekly visit on the Shan & RJ show on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan, Jones made it clear that the decision wasn’t about any frugality on his part, instead believing that Leonard made his choice based solely on where he preferred to play.
“There was absolutely never a dollar, never any money mentioned [during the meeting with Dallas],” said Jones. “I met with him, I had lunch with him and had a good visit with him. But there was never a financial issue at all. So, that wasn’t the case in any way. He, fairly, wanted to go where he thought he had the best chance to play.”
The Cowboys were hoping to add Leonard to their linebacker ranks after losing starter Leighton Vander Esch to a season-ending neck injury. Leonard, a former second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts back in 2018 was the Defensive Rookie of the Year that season as the league’s top tackler, before earning All-Pro nods in each of his first four seasons with three (2018, 2020, 2021) being first team selections.
However, Leonard’s 2022 season was replete with injuries that allowed him to only play in three games, only one of which came with him in the starting lineup. After nine games with Indy this season, Leonard was surprisingly waived on Nov. 21 after expressing frustration with limited defensive snaps and due for a demotion to the bench.
With a perfect candidate to come in and replace Vander Esch seemingly falling into their lap, the Cowboys acknowledged interest and even had Leonard in for a meeting but were unable to get him signed before he met with Philadelphia. Instead of bolstering their linebacker corps with the three-time Pro Bowler, the Cowboys saw their target opt for their most bitter rival instead.
Nevertheless, Jones tried to smooth over the notion that the position had become bereft without Leonard joining by reiterating that he is “confident” in the linebackers on the roster. “We thought that [Leonard] had a place here,” Jones said. “But, it’s not like you’ve left some big hole here that we don’t have the ability to fill, we’ve got the ability to fill it.”
The Cowboys (9-3) enter their Week 14 matchup against the Eagles (10-2) riding a four-game winning streak which has allowed them to pull to within a game of Philadelphia. Now Dallas must try to avenge their 28-23 Week 9 loss in Philly without the improvement at linebacker that they were eyeing while also potentially seeing the player they coveted suit up for the opponent.
“We could very easily see him out there against us Sunday,” said Jones. “On an individual basis, I wish him the best. He deserves that. He’s had a very distinguished career.”
Despite missing out on Leonard, Jones likes his chances against the league’s best. Even with the San Francisco 49ers earning blowout wins over both NFC East contenders, Jones isn’t ready to concede the conference.
"I'm not sure there's the separation that a lot of people seem [to have]," Jones said. "We’ve got the talent, and with the way Dak [Prescott] is playing, we have the opportunity to win any game we play against either of those teams. Can we beat either one of those teams? Absolutely. We have a good chance.”
With the rivalry adding another element this week following the Shaquille Leonard saga, the Philadelphia Eagles come to AT&T Stadium in Arlington where they will be welcomed by the Dallas Cowboys for a classic Sunday Night Football matchup in primetime.
Do you think the Cowboys will make Leonard regret his decision this season? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @WFAASports.
