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When Ryan Kerrigan walked off FedEx Field after a January playoff loss to Tampa Bay, you just knew it was the end of an era. Kerrigan knew it, too.
With Chase Young and Montez Sweat on the roster, returning as a backup wasn’t appealing to Kerrigan as he still wanted to play. But, unfortunately, that wasn’t happening in Washington.
Earlier this week, Kerrigan said goodbye to Washington in a heartfelt Instagram post. One day later, Kerrigan announced he was signing with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The first thing Washington fans thought was, how could Kerrigan sign with the hated Eagles?
It wasn’t personal toward Washington. Instead, as Kerrigan explained in an appearance on the “Grant and Danny Show” on 106.7 The Fan on Wednesday, it was strictly a football decision.
“It was my first time being a free agent; this was a strange process,” Kerrigan said.”At the end of the day, this was the best fit for me as a football player.”
So, when did Kerrigan realize his time in Washington was likely over?
“Coach Rivera and Mr. Snyder called me at the beginning of free agency and told me they weren’t going to re-sign me and were going to go in a different direction,” Kerrigan said.
In his 10 years with Washington, Kerrigan wasn’t just an outstanding player who broke the franchise’s career sack record; he was also a beloved member of the community.
Kerrigan participated in numerous charities throughout his career in Washington, including the Ryan Kerrigan Leukemia Golf Classic, with proceeds goings to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
There’s also “Kerrigan’s Korner,” which he launched to help children in local hospitals.
Kerrigan’s time with the WFT goes far beyond his impact on the field, and that’s something he is proud of.
“The relationships that you build with not only the patients, but everyone involved,” Kerrigan said. “Those are things that I’m taking with me. That’s what has made these 10 years so meaningful.”
Finally, Kerrigan summed up what playing in Washington meant to him.
“Ten years here, I pretty much grew up here. From 22 to 32 with two kids, a lot has changed,” Kerrigan said.
When I got drafted I didn’t know what to expect, I was moving from a defensive end to a standup outside linebacker, so for things to work out like the way they have is incredible. I genuinely loved living there in the DMV. I felt a genuine connection to the place because I loved living there.