Eagles' Jonathan Greenard reveals his blueprint for wreaking havoc

There’s a difference between chasing sacks and controlling a game. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t bring in Jonathan Greenard to simply rack up numbers. They brought him in to disrupt everything. By the sound of it, he understands exactly how that happens. In a conversation with Dave Spadaro, Greenard offered a glimpse into the mindset that separates productive pass rushers from impactful ones. He outlines why disruption starts long before the sack. Trust this next statement. You'll want to hear what he had to say.

For Jonathan Greenard, disruption is the production.

For Greenard, it starts with the little things. Some have discussed his 'off year' in 2025, in which he registered only 3 sacks after notching 24.5 sacks over the previous two years. Few mention his ten tackles for loss or 12 QB hits with a bum shoulder. Maybe they should do so more often. Moving the quarterback off his spot. Disrupting timing. Taking away rhythm before a play can fully develop. Those are the moments that don't always show up in the box score, but they shape everything that follows. Stopping the run, however, is where it truly begins. Greenard emphasized to Spadaro the importance of blowing up an offense's “bread and butter.”

"Once I learned really early on to stop their bread and butter and getting TFLs, it made the sacks much easier, because now you know when they're about to run it (and) what type of protection they're going to have."

It's a simple strategy, creating tackles for loss that force opponents out of their comfort zone. Once that happens, the advantage shifts. The offense becomes predictable. Protections tighten. Passing situations become more obvious. That’s when opportunities open up, but remember... This is a team game.

"Getting your guys involved as well. Rushing as a unit. I'm not just out here just freelancing – the best edge guys are the guys that get everybody else involved and on the same page. I feel like that's when you see a true impact of an edge guy, if an edge guy is the only guy out there making all the plays, he's not doing anything else to help the interior guys be able to make his job easier, if that makes sense."