It's the end of an era in the nation's capital, with Ryan Kerrigan officially waving goodbye to the Washington Football Team. He'd waste no time in inking a new deal once he did, and it's with his longtime nemesis, agreeing to join the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal -- the Eagles announced -- and that's sure to make the coming 2021 battles between the two teams that much more intense.
"I know I probably wasn't your favorite player over the past decade, but Philadelphia Eagles fans I'm fired up to be playing for you guys now!" Kerrigan posted on Instagram.
A lot has changed, and continually, over the past decade with Washington -- including its name. The steady hand through it all was Kerrigan, the veteran pass rusher who continued to produce despite the mountain of challenges that helped prevent the club from being perennially competitive. That longtime marriage has now reached its end, however, with the 32-year-old opting to divorce from Washington after months of speculation surrounding his future with the team.
On Monday, the four-time Pro Bowler took to social media to first say goodbye, officially ruling out a return to the organization before announcing his intent to join the Eagles.
"I'll never be able to sum up what these past 10 years have meant to me in an Instagram post, but what I can say is that they have been some of the best of my life," Kerrigan wrote. "I hope you had as much fun watching me as I did playing for you. Thank you, Washington, for everything."
Kerrigan leaves Washington as the franchise's all-time sack leader (95.5). Earlier this offseason, Kerrigan made it known he not only wanted to keep playing, but that he no longer wanted to do so in a rotational capacity -- his latest role with the Football Team. Not surprisingly, considering the slew of young talent Washington boasts on its defensive line, it appears the two sides couldn't get past that impasse, which led him to Philadelphia.
"I definitely want to be a starter," Kerrigan said in January, via The Washington Post. "I mean, I think any player would say that. I don't think anybody just wants to settle for being a role player or a reserve player.
"... I've got to really be open-minded to several factors and open-minded to all teams. And that's kind of what I plan to do. I definitely feel like I've still got a lot of ball in me, a lot of good productive years ahead."
With the Eagles having a loaded front as well, it'll be interesting to see if Kerrigan gets his wish in Philly.
With the 2021 NFL Draft now in the rear-view mirror, the Eagles had a better picture of their needs and it made sense to give Kerrigan a call, likely one of several he received. Despite being demoted to backup duty in Washington, he still produced 11 total sacks the past two seasons and with only one start in 2020. His 5.5 sacks last season were third-most behind only Montez Sweat and rookie sensation Chase Young, respectively, in the midst of seeing his snap count dwindle to 38 percent -- far and away the lowest mark of his NFL career. Kerrigan is also just two years removed from having delivered back-to-back 13-sack seasons as a starter -- numbers that strongly suggest he's got plenty still left in the tank.
The former 16th overall pick will now look for another jersey to put on for the first time in his career.
"I still feel really good," he noted in January. "Maybe one of the silver linings with playing a lot less snaps this year was my body doesn't really feel too beat up right now. So, hopefully that'll help me maybe add a year or two here on the back end of my career."
