Former Patriots Second-Round Pick Signs With Division Rival
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With the 60th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots selected University of Michigan edge rusher Joshua Uche.
He recorded just one sack in nine games played in his rookie season. That number improved to three the next year before an explosion in 2022.
He became a fan favorite after recording 11.5 sacks in 15 games opposite the dominant Matthew Judon.
Judon and Uche were the last two Patriots to eclipse 10 sacks in a single season when they combined for 27 in 2022.
The very next season, Uche came back down to Earth, recording just three sacks.
Ex-head coach Jerod Mayo then traded Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs halfway through the 2024 season in exchange for a sixth-round selection in next month’s NFL Draft.
He was cut and signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played a civilian season, ending with just one sack and 23 tackles.
Uche will now join the Miami Dolphins on a one-year deal, where he will square off against New England twice a year.
Despite playing just 244 total snaps for Philadelphia, Uche had a surprisingly high Pro Football Focus grade of 85.1, the best of his career. He was credited with 21 quarterback hurries and 12 stops in the run game. The Eagles were the first team to use Uche strictly as a pass rusher. He played a career-low 15 coverage snaps, compared to 46 the season before.
