NEWSLETTER
After suffering their first loss of the season to the Washington Commanders on Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles have added more beef to their defensive line, signing veteran lineman Ndamukong Suh (just one day after they inked former Vikings Pro Bowl defensive tackle Linval Joseph to a deal for the remainder of the season.
Jeff McClane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the deal on Thursday afternoon, a one-year deal that will bring the five-time All-Pro to Philly.
Suh — who will turn 36 in January — most recently played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he spent three seasons and racked up 14.5 sacks and a Super Bowl for his troubles.
The acquisitions of Josheph and Suh were fueled by Jordan Davis and Marlon Tuipulotu being on IR. Tuipulotu suffered a knee injury during their Monday Night Football loss in Washington, so Philadelphia needed some depth, and GM Howie Roseman answered the call with two veterans who lack no pedigree, especially Suh, who was once one of the most feared pass-rushers in the NFL.
Good for the Eagles I suppose, but our interest in this signing comes into play when we consider the checkered past of Ndamukong Suh and the injuries he’s delivered to quarterbacks throughout the years, and the fact that the Bears play the Eagles next month with Philadelphia surely fighting for playoff seeding.
Suh — who once stomped on Green Bay offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith’s arm resulting in an ejection — has long been known as a player not afraid to get nasty in the name of winning. Suh has a long history of dirty hits on quarterbacks, and these are just a few examples:
The Eagles have been excellent when it comes to getting to the opposing quarterback, averaging 3.2 sacks per game, which is fourth-best in the league. We don’t want to see that type of success in a few weeks, especially when it might come at the expense of the franchise’s quarterback in the midst of a huge year for his development.
It’s hard to say what the complexion of the Bears offensive line will look like a month from now, but it certainly won’t be great regardless of who’s lining up in front of Justin Fields.
Matt Eberflus and Luke Gesty should be making it their No. 1 priority to scheme Justin Fields some extra protection in that game because we know that Suh won’t hesitate to get a dirty shot off on one of the game’s up-and-coming stars if he has the chance.
