The Indianapolis Colts defense has a chance to become a special unit.
They will get a lot of advantages in the trenches with Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, and Yannick Ngakoue.
Those players combined for 21 sacks last season and will be a menace to opposing offensive linemen.
Meanwhile, their secondary is led by Pro Bowler Kenny Moore and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
Moore had four interceptions and 13 passes defended in 2021, while Gilmore had two picks for the Carolina Panthers.
Indianapolis also has a solid linebacker corps led by Bobby Okereke and Darius Leonard.
However, it will take time before the All-Pro from South Carolina State returns to full health after undergoing surgery.
The Athletic’s Zak Keefer revealed the reason for this operation.
Bit of clarity on Darius Leonard's surgery: The ankle injury lingered, in part, b/c of a related calf issue. Calf wasn't firing last year, and docs believe that was due to a nerve in his back. Hence the back surgery. Team actually believes he'll be back at/near start of camp.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) June 13, 2022
He tweeted, “Bit of clarity on Darius Leonard’s surgery: The ankle injury lingered, in part, b/c of a related calf issue. Calf wasn’t firing last year, and docs believe that was due to a nerve in his back. Hence the back surgery. Team actually believes he’ll be back at/near start of camp.”
All Is Well For Leonard And The Colts
That’s good news if he will be able to participate come training camp.
If he comes back better and stronger, the doctors are a significant part of his success.
As always, they need to find the cause of his physical problems to put an end to his struggles.
The timing of the surgery is also important because it gives him more time to recover.
If it happened during training camp, he might miss the first few games of the 2022 season.
That possibility won’t sit well for a guy that missed only one game last year and seven throughout his four-year career.
With the surgery being done early, Leonard can take his time to build his strength before diving into the grind.
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