Patriots Defender Traded Last Season Agrees To Deal With Super Bowl Champs
Former New England Patriots edge rusher Joshua Uche went from one Super Bowl contender to another.
The Philadelphia Eagles announced Thursday that they agreed to a one-year deal with Uche, who the Patriots traded to the Kansas City Chiefs during the middle of last season for a 2026 sixth-round pick. The money attached to the deal wasn’t disclosed.
Uche rarely played once he got with the Chiefs and then watched from the sidelines as the Eagles walked away with the Lombardi Trophy. Now, he’ll get the opportunity to help the Eagles try to win back-to-back titles.
Philadelphia actually might be a perfect fit for Uche, who the Patriots drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Uche showed in 2022 when he tallied a career-high 11.5 sacks that he could perform well opposite of a Pro Bowler pass rusher like Matthew Judon.
But outside of that one season, Uche never met his potential with the Patriots. In the other three-plus seasons he spent with New England, he combined for nine sacks.
Uche will get the chance to be a part of the Eagles’ stout defensive line, which features Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Opposing fronts being focused on those two might create an easier path to the quarterback for Uche, who only registered two sacks last season.
Uche modeled his game after longtime Eagles star and fellow Michigan product Brandon Graham. Uche might have a chance to be teammates with Graham if Graham doesn’t decide to retire after 15 seasons with the Eagles.