Indianapolis Colts linebacker, Shaquille (Darius) Leonard was put on injured reserve on Friday, November 11th due to a persistent back injury that he has been dealing with.
The past four days have been filled with speculation about what that means for Leonard and the rest of the 2022 season.
Today, we received some clarity on the situation.
Best outcome for the Colts and Leonard: He uses the rest of the season/offseason to get back to 100% — something he hasn’t been in at least three years — and returns ready to go in 2023. https://t.co/BG6C9bDtEJ
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) November 15, 2022
While Leonard will not play for the remainder of this season, there is hope for his future.
This surgery will likely aid him in getting fully healthy and will increase the likelihood that he will be back for the 2023 season and beyond.
The State Of The Colts Defense
While the Colts will certainly miss Leonard as the focal point of their linebacking core, they still have plenty of depth at the position, and their defense has been playing well as of late.
The Colts defense is allowing 20.3 points per game on the year, the 11th fewest in the league.
The Colts currently stand with a 4-5-1 record.
There is still time for them to make a strong playoff push, which will likely be propelled by their strong defensive play.
On the defensive side of the ball, look for playmakers such as Zaire Franklin, Bobby Owereke, E.J. Speed, and Yannick Ngakoue to continue their strong play.
While the jury is still out on Jeff Saturday and his coaching practices, one thing is certain.
The Colts new defensive coordinator, Gus Bradley has a proven track record to coach outstanding defenses, most notably, the “Legion of Boom” in Seattle.
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