If you had any hopes that the Eagles would bring back pending free agent linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, that isn’t going to happen.
Hours after the NFL’s open negotiating period began, the 25-year-old said goodbye to Philly on Monday afternoon.
The Eagles claimed Grugier-Hill back in early September of 2016 at the same time they also claimed WR Bryce Treggs and S Terrence Brooks. From there, Grugier-Hill became a key member of the Eagles’ special teams unit and eventually earned a role on defense.
The Patriots took Grugier-Hill in the sixth round out of Eastern Illinois but released him at final cuts. A couple years later, Grugier-Hill helped the Eagles take down his former team in the Super Bowl.
Known as a special teams player, Grugier-Hill seemed like he was on his way to having a breakout season as a linebacker in 2019 but then sprained his MCL during training camp. Before that injury, he looked great.
NFL
Eventually, KGH returned and played 10 games with six starts. But his 2019 season ended strangely. He was placed on IR when an MRI determined he needed back surgery. That happened not long after Grugier-Hill suffered a concussion in the Miami game and failed to report it to medical personnel, an action Doug Pederson publicly reprimanded. When he was placed on IR, his agent released a statement saying his client had played through pain for most of the season.
It seemed like the situation between Grugier-Hill and the Eagles had soured.
But he did have four good seasons with the Eagles and was a part of the team that won Super Bowl LII in 2017.
During his four seasons in Philly, Grugier-Hill played in 54 games and started 16 of them. He was a two-time special teams captain and was well liked in the locker room.
Without Grugier-Hill and without Nigel Bradham, who is also a free agent, the Eagles are light at the linebacker spot right now. They have Nathan Gerry, T.J. Edwards, Duke Riley and Alex Singleton under contract.
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