The New England Patriots have had a lot of talented pass rushers come in and out of the building over the last few decades. One who had an up and down career with New England was Josh Uche, who spent four and a half years with the Patriots before getting traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Uche has 86 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in his five seasons in the NFL. His best season was in 2022, where he had 11.5 sacks, 27 tackles, and two forced fumbles.
The former second-round pick is only 26 and will now be going to the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal, according to Adam Schefter. The Philadelphia Eagles have lost a lot of defensive linemen this year, like Milton Williams and Josh Sweat, and the young Uche will come in to grow and learn with the rest of the Eagles’ young pass rush.
Uche has shown a lot of flashes of being able to be a difference maker, and there is no better place to go test that than Philadelphia. Uche will get to play with players like Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and Nolan Smith which will help him a lot. When Uche had his breakout year in 2022, it had to do a lot with him playing alongside Matthew Judon.
Judon was one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and drew a lot of attention which allowed Uche to be able to make plays. Hopefully, alongside players like Carter and Davis, he will get those same opportunities.
The Michigan alumni will have to prove that he can still be a really good pass rusher if he wants to stay in the NFL. He has struggled ever since 2022, and if he does not succeed in his one-year prove-it deal, then it may be over for Uche. The Eagles had one of the best defenses and pass rushes in the NFL, and if he does not succeed there, then it is hard to imagine him succeeding in another scenario.
With the Patriots needing defensive line help, there were some rumors of a return, but those will be shut down for this season. The Patriots beefed up their defensive line throughout free agency, and now they will hope they did not make a mistake by not revising Uche.
Uche has a lot to prove this year, but he also has the skill and tools to prove himself and secure a long-term contract.