Suh-per addition | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Eagles’ defensive line has taken some hits, but help is on the way.

One day after adding Linval Joseph, the Eagles signed veteran defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to a one-year deal. Suh has been a force in the league for years, with five Pro Bowl selections and 590 tackles, 212 quarterback hits, and 70½ sacks in 191 career games, most recently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The signings indicate the Eagles are preparing for a deep playoff run, Josh Tolentino writes.

By signing with the Eagles, Suh is reunited with Darius Slay, with whom he played in Detroit. Slay offered a glowing endorsement of Suh and even addressed his reputation as a “nasty player.”

“That’s my guy, man,” Slay said. “He taught me how to be a pro. He helped groom me as a man. He’s an amazing dude. He set me up pretty good in Detroit. I appreciate him.”

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

The 76ers have now played five games without James Harden, and while he has been present at practices and games — including Joel Embiid’s 59-point outburst — he had not been seen in action. When media members entered the Sixers’ practice facility on Wednesday, he was on the court doing light shooting. Harden has also spent some time on the treadmill as he recovers from a strained tendon in his right foot.

Harden, who has been out for two weeks, is on pace to return in two weeks. When asked about that pace, Harden assured: “We’ve got a plan. We’ve got a script that we’re trying to stick to. All in all, I feel good.”

Next: The Sixers finally take the court at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center (ESPN).

Safety Rodney McLeod forged a lot of friendships and won a Super Bowl in his six seasons with the Eagles. He has moved on to the Indianapolis Colts, who will host his old team on Sunday.

“It’s going to be exciting,” McLeod told The Inquirer. “Knowing the history I have in Philly, emotions are going to be running high for me. I’m looking forward to going out and competing, making my presence felt.”

Now will the Colts send the Eagles to a second straight loss? Our beat writers predict that the Eagles will bounce back.

Next: The Eagles visit the Colts on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CBS3).

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 11 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Watch Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday

On a day when winger Patrick Brown returned following his lengthy recovery from back surgery, the Flyers had another player go down.

Leading scorer Travis Konecny exited with an apparent right hand injury in the second period of the Flyers’ 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday. It was their fifth straight loss.

Next: The Flyers wrap up their road trip against the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. Saturday (NBC Sports Philadelphia).

Dave Dombrowski says the Phillies are “open-minded” about adding a free-agent pitcher. But the team’s president of baseball operations might be coming to grips with the reality of this year’s pitching market. Unlike shortstop, where there are four superstars available, there simply aren’t a whole lot of clear difference-makers, David Murphy writes.

It might make sense to give Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, or Carlos Rodón $25-plus million if it came with a guarantee that the Phillies would get X years of playoff-caliber starting pitching. Maybe Mets righty Chris Bassitt if his price comes down. Wherever the Phillies turn, they won’t be buying certainty.

Well, can’t say we didn’t warn you about making sure to take in and appreciate Paxten Aaronson on the field for the Union, because he wasn’t going to stay for long. The only thing that’s surprising is that he didn’t get that much playing time for the team this year, even when starring for U.S. youth national teams, but that was partially because of the absolute excellence of Dániel Gazdag.

Still, one team abroad saw enough to know Aaronson was more than the junior version of brother Brenden. Jonathan Tannenwald has the details.

Andrea Canales has the details on what shiny things players can win at the World Cup.

Canales, Tannenwald, and Gustav Elvin also opine on the crucial question of which country will win the World Cup and if the Americans will advance from or exit the group stage.

We asked you: Were you a Phillies fan who thought it was all over for the team when Harper broke his thumb? If so, what moment convinced you otherwise? Among your responses:

When [Bryson] Stott hit the home run (the one the boy prayed for). I was confident the Phils could win without him. That plus [J.T.] Realmuto’s wake-up call made me a believer. — Kenneth C.

I was devastated when [Blake] Snell broke Harper’s thumb. Injuries like that always make me upset. I wanted to believe they could overcome it, but was sure their season was over. What happened after that was nothing short of a miracle. Lots of players stepped up in a lot of ways to keep the Phils going. I never saw it coming but was sure glad it did! His upcoming surgery is another story for another day. Very proud of our Phillies! — Kathy T.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Gustav Elvin, Andrea Canales, Josh Tolentino, David Murphy, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Giana Han, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Isabella DiAmore, Javon Edmonds, Meghann Morhardt, and Melanie Heller.