6 Former Eagles Philadelphia Should Sign for a Reunion in Free Agency

3. Jordan Hicks, LB

A third-round pick out of Texas, Jordan Hicks was an impactful linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles whenever he was on the field during the first four years of his career. Unfortunately, he struggled to stay on the field during that time.

Hicks missed eight games as a rookie, nine during his third season, and four more in 2018. He managed to play in every game just once, which was during his sophomore campaign. That year, he was excellent with 85 tackles, 11 pass defenses, and five interceptions.

In all, he had 254 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 19 pass defenses, seven interceptions (one of which was a pick-six), and a forced fumble for Philly. He wasn't re-signed, however, due in large part to the durability concerns. Instead, he signed a four-year, $36 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Hicks played in every game for Arizona for the next three seasons but was a cap casualty ahead of 2022. He then spent two years in Minnesota and played in all 17 games in 2022 before missing four this past season. Still, his durability is vastly superior to what we saw in Philadelphia — and he's had at least 100 tackles in each of the past five years.

With Shaq Leonard, Nicholas Morrow, and Zach Cunningham all entering free agency, the Eagles are in the market for linebacker help. Perhaps bringing Hicks back could help them put together a strong roster in 2024 while also allowing him to serve as a veteran mentor for players such as Nakobe Dean.