Indianapolis Colts waive three-time all-pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard

The NFL world was stunned when they discovered that the Indianapolis Colts would release their three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard. Formerly known as Darius Leonard, Shaquille was one of the best players in his position not long ago. Injuries have slowed down his career, though a straight-up release from the roster was the furthest thing from everybody’s minds. 

The 28-year-old announced that he would be getting waived from the Colts in a social media post that thanked the fans and the franchise for giving him nothing but love. He continued that the last six years of his life there have been incredible and that he wishes the team and city nothing but the best moving forward. As for the team’s owner, Jim Irsay, he also released a statement regarding the decision to move on from him. He said, “We’re thankful for Shaq and the contributions he made to our organisation. We wish him and his beautiful family the best moving forward.”

As a rookie, Leonard racked up 163 total tackles, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. He also had seven sacks and eight passes defended. This helped him easily win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and be named an All-Pro. Fast forward to the end of his fourth season, and he had 538 total sacks and 15 sacks. He was the ideal linebacker in any defensive scheme, and the Colts knew it. That was why they handed him a five-year, $98 million extension in 2021. Unfortunately, this was the time that Leonard’s career got off track.

In the 2022 offseason, Leonard had to undergo back surgery after an injury had been nagging him for quite some time. He missed quite a while in 2022 before returning to break his nose and suffer a concussion in his first game on the field. On top of that, he actually reinjured his back a couple of games later. After that, he missed the remainder of the year, appearing in just three contests. In 2023, he missed tackles and got out of position more often than usual. This caused a new coaching staff to limit playing time, something he didn’t like. He said, “They say I don’t make enough splash plays, so I guess I’ll still be watching for a bit.” Leonard made it clear he wanted more playing time, but the franchise informed him that he’d remain inactive, and a release came afterwards.

He’s currently got $6.1 million owed to him in salary for 2023 and another $6.5 million in 2024. Any team that would like to acquire Leonard off waivers would need to claim both him and the contract he brings. Nobody is willing to do that now, leaving him likely to become an unrestricted free agent, where anybody can meet with him and sign him. Indianapolis signed Ronnie Harrison to their active roster following the release of the former All-Pro to fill that roster spot.