Colts players react as Leonard’s time in Indy comes to an end
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts released linebacker Shaquille Leonard.
The team captain was waived after weeks of publicly voicing his unhappiness with his role on the Colts’ defense.
Leonard played in just three games in 2022 after undergoing a pair of surgeries to repair a nerve issue. He started nine of the team’s first 10 games this season before his release but played significantly fewer snaps than in previous seasons.
Regardless of the on-field product, Leonard has always been an incredible leader and a strong voice in the locker room, and many of the team’s star players were heartbroken by the news.
Colts star linebacker Zaire Franklin’s locker has been right next to Leonard’s for the entirety of the duo’s six years together, as Leonard and Franklin were both drafted by the Colts in 2018.
“Being here for the whole journey, the whole ride, it was hard to see it coming to an end like that,” Franklin said. “When I got the news, I shot him a text and told him how much he meant to me, how much I care about him, and how much I believe in everything that he is about… It is a tough business and we all have an expiration date whether we like it or not.”
Franklin also reiterated how unfortunate it is that his time with Indy came to a close so abruptly, saying that Leonard has brighter things ahead.
All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner knows what it is like to change teams, as the 49ers traded him to Indianapolis in 2020 after four years with San Fransisco, two as a team captain.
“Shaq is one of one,” Buckner said. “He is one hell of a person, a teammate, a player. The energy that he would bring every day, he put a smile on your face. He’s definitely a tough one to see let go. It’s a tough part of the business.”
Buckner continued to talk about how difficult it was to see Leonard get released.
“It’s just hard,” Buckner said. “It’s always hard seeing your teammates [leave], whether they get traded or cut, but this will definitely hit home a little bit more because of the person he is and the player he is and the way he always seeks to help others. That will definitely be missed.”
The Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor was drafted in 2020, seeing Leonard’s impact both on and off the field.
“It hurts,” Taylor said. “He’s been a leader on this team, he’s been a major contributor to this team and also he has been a major contributor to the community. You saw it the other day, handing out turkeys. When something like that happens it hurts.”
Taylor also talked about what it was like playing against Shaq in practice his entire career.
“My first reps were against the All-Pro Shaq Leonard,” Taylor said. “That was tough, but it was what I needed to see… this is the standard. This is what I need to be prepared for. If I want to be on the field and contribute to the team, you have to learn how to play against defenders like that. He has taught me so much not even along the game, but outside of the game on life and how to conduct yourself.”
The Colts quarterback Garnder Minshew played against Leonard twice in his career during his first two seasons with the Jaguars, and knows firsthand why Leonard earned the nickname, “The Maniac.”
“I thought he was probably the best in the league when I was playing against him,” Minshew said. “Always around the ball, always creating turnovers… Just a really, really unique player. We will miss him.”
Leonard, a four-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler was selected by the Colts in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, playing in 70 career games for the Horseshoe. He was named the 2018 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year after an incredible rookie season.
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