Eagles sign linebacker L.J. Fort to a 3-year contract
He spent his last four seasons with the Steelers, where he was mostly a special-teams contributor. He's also bounced around the league, playing for the Browns, Broncos, Seahawks, Bengals and Patriots.
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The Eagles agreed Thursday to a three-year contract with free-agent linebacker L.J. Fort, the team announced. The contract is worth $5.5 million, with $1.9 million guaranteed.
Fort, 29, spent his last four seasons with the Steelers, mostly as a special-teams contributor. He bounced around the league from 2012 to 2015, playing for the Browns, Broncos, Seahawks, Bengals, and Patriots before landing in Pittsburgh.
An undrafted rookie, Fort (6-foot, 232 pounds) played in 16 games in his first season in Cleveland, intercepting a Michael Vick pass in his debut against the Eagles. But he played in only one game over the next three seasons. He played almost exclusively on special teams for the Steelers in 2016 and 2017, but he earned more time on defense last season, finishing with 48 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
The Eagles lost linebacker Jordan Hicks to free agency this week, when he signed a four-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. They will be looking to replace the middle linebacker, although Nigel Bradham has filled that role. Kamu Grugier-Hill and Nate Gerry also return at linebacker, with Paul Worrilow, who missed last season with an ACL tear.