Jerry Jones reveals if finances played a part in Shaq Leonard ditching Cowboys for Eagles
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opened up on the negotiations with Shaq Leonard.
The Indianapolis Colts surprisingly released Leonard, and immediately, many teams were interested in signing him once he cleared waivers.
Leonard ended up visiting the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, and after some time talking, the linebacker signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia.
According to Jerry Jones, Leonard's decision came down to where he wanted to play and not money.
“We could very easily see him out there against us Sunday. … Certainly on an individual basis wish him the best," Jerry Jones said. "There was absolutely never a dollar, any money, mentioned.
"There was never a financial issue at all. That wasn’t the case. He wanted to go where he thought he had the best chance. It was never an issue for us with the confidence we have in our linebackers.”
Currently, Leonard's salary for the remainder of the year with the Eagles has not been revealed. But, it likely will be near the minimum given the fact that he's getting paid by the Colts after being released.
With that, Leonard decided to go with the Eagles as he views it as his best chance to play and win a Super Bowl.
As Jerry Jones said, he has full confidence in the Cowboys linebacker core to continue their success this season.
Shaq Leonard has a history with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni
Another reason that Shaq Leonard may have picked the Philadelphia Eagles is due to his relationship with head coach Nick Sirianni.
Sirianni is the former offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, and the coach said he was close with Leonard during his time there.
“Obviously, there is a prior relationship there,” Sirianni said. “I was close with him when we were in Indy.
"I just thought you can learn so much from good players. Just think about how he went about, how he attacked the day and also how he saw the game, as an offensive coach … that was always a good perspective talking to him and I just had so much respect for him.”
Leonard is expected to play in Week 14 as the Philadelphia Eagles go on the road to play the Dallas Cowboys in a pivotal game for the NFC standings.
The Eagles are currently atop the NFC with a 10-2 record, but the Cowboys are right there behind them at 9-3. A win for Dallas will make the NFC East and the race for the top seed in the NFC very interesting.