Getty Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard underwent back surgery during the offseason.
Up until the release of the final injury report, the Indianapolis Colts seemed to remain hopeful 3-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard would play in Week 1.
But on September 9, Colts head coach Frank Reich announced Leonard would not play in Week 1 against the Houston Texans.
“I feel good about the progress he’s making, but we just felt after talking with Shaq, the trainers and the doctors, that it was the best thing for him and for our team to hold him out this week,” said Reich.
The Colts head coach continued, explaining that Leonard was not ruled out because of a setback in his recovery.
Reich Says Leonard Didn’t Suffer Injury Setback
Leonard was a full participant in practice on September 7 but had more limited snaps in practice the following two days. Naturally, that led some to wonder if Leonard suffered a setback early in the week.
Reich, though, made it clear that Leonard was not ruled out of playing in Week 1 because of an injury setback.
“No setback. The first day (September 7) we weren’t in pads, so there was really nothing to limit him from. In Day Two (September 8) when we were in pads, he did a lot, he got his share, but just with the pads on and working back into things, it just felt like it was right to limit him a little bit.”
To put it more simply, Leonard has made terrific progress returning from the back surgery he underwent on June 7. He returned to practice on August 30, and yet, he appeared to seriously push towards playing in the season opener less than two weeks later.
But Leonard has not made quite enough progress to play a regular season game on September 11.
Leonard will miss the eighth game of his 5-year NFL career on September 11. He sat out 1 contest during the 2021 season.
Right Decision for Leonard to Sit in Week 1, Says NFL Staff Writer
While there’s no doubt the Colts will miss one of their best defensive players in the season opener, NFL staff writer Zak Keefer of The Athletic claimed it was the “right” decision.
“There’s no need to rush him, not when you consider how long Leonard’s dealt with the ankle-turned-calf-turned-back injury, and how close he (presumably) is of putting it behind him,” Keefer wrote. “Furthermore, if the Colts can’t take care of business against a team they beat by a combined score of 61-3 last season, they’ve got bigger problems.”
Last year’s combined score in the series versus Houston probably didn’t play a role in Indianapolis’ decision to rule out Leonard for Week 1. But Keefer’s point remains — if the Colts lose to the Texans without their All-Pro linebacker, his return won’t fix all of Indianapolis’ concerns.
While the Colts didn’t rule out Leonard until September 9, he sounded less than confident that he would play when speaking to the media the day prior.
“I don’t wanna go out there and hurt the team,” Leonard said on September 8. “If I’m ready to rock and roll, I’ll be ready to rock and roll. Me as a competitor, I want to be out there if I can. So I just want to make sure I make the right decision.”
Colts insider Mike Chappell of FOX and CBS Sports tweeted Leonard playing is still a possibility for Week 2. Indianapolis will face another division rival in the second week of the season on September 18.
Frank Reich: Shaq Leonard (back) OUT vs. Houston. Maybe week 2 at Jax.