ARLINGTON, Texas – The Indianapolis Colts are coming off the bye week without one of their defense’s plays of the past few years. On Tuesday, Indianapolis released linebacker Shaquille Leonard. He cleared waivers on Wednesday and is now a free agent. The former All-Pro confirmed the news on social media with a post saying goodbye to the franchise and the city.
“Indy, I want to thank you for welcoming me and my family with open arms,” Leonard wrote. “The last six years have been simply incredible! In good times and bad, you all stood by my side. I apologize for not returning this trophy to the 317. The energy at Lucas Oil was just incredible and I thank you for every memory. I’m grateful to be able to play for such a great fan base. I love you and wish the Colts nothing but the best!”
Colts owner Jim Irsay also took to social media after the move to reminisce about Leonard’s tenure, but also acknowledged that the NFL is a “tough business.”
“Colts Nation will always remember the Maniac’s palpable energy on the field, with every tackle, every interception, every punchout and every fumble recovery,” Irsay said in a statement. “Off the field, he is a servant leader and has helped numerous families in both his hometown and the Indianapolis community. We are grateful to Shaq and the contributions he has made to our organization. We wish him and his wonderful family all the best for the future.”
Shaquille Leonard
IND • OLB • #53
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Leonard — who requested in 2022 to go by his middle name, Shaquille, instead of his first name, Darius — came to Indianapolis as a second-round draft pick out of South Carolina State in 2018. He made an immediate impact with the Colts and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the league in tackles. During his tenure, he was a three-time first-team All-Pro and was named to the Pro Bowl four times.
However, injuries have plagued Leonard in recent seasons. He was limited to just three games in 2022 due to offseason back surgery, suffered a concussion in Week 4 of the year, and then was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the season in Week 10 after suffering a setback from his back injury . Leonard was able to play in nine games for the Colts this season and started 65 tackles.
It was unlikely that a team would claim Leonard off waivers and take on his current contract. If a team had done this, it would have given him a base salary of about $6 million for the remainder of this season and more than $13 million per season for the next three seasons (including $19 million in 2026). owed. It was much more realistic for this situation to unfold as he now has the freedom to sign a cheaper contract with a new club since he cleared waivers.
Landing sites
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys appear to be in the market for a linebacker as Mike McCarthy’s team actually has a need at the position. They lost third-round rookie DeMarvion Overshown to a torn ACL in training camp, and the Cowboys were still weakened after losing Leighton Vander Esch for the season to a neck injury. Dallas now represents an opportunity for Leonard to join a Super Bowl contender, where he can play an important role for one of the NFL’s best defenses. Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones is considering the possibility of signing Leonard.
“We’ll see, we’ll see,” Jones said after the Cowboys’ loss to Washington on Thanksgiving. “I’m not trying to be shy. I really don’t know at the moment. Contact has been made, but I’m sure every team assumes that if they’re in the hunt, they might be interested in him. First of all, we have some questions that we need to clarify regarding health, things like that. I don’t want to be on this list at the moment. I want to do our homework and do what we were supposed to do and see if this thing could be a fit for us. We didn’t do anything more.”
Jones also declined to elaborate on how he could help their defense if signed.
“I don’t know,” Jones said. “We had a quick discussion about it before the game and will see how we do with our assessment. We’ll see him pretty well. Check out some health considerations. I know a lot of teams are paying attention to him. “I don’t want to give any indication of how interested we are in him.”
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers’ linebacker room has been decimated by injuries. So much so that they had to lure Myles Jack out of retirement to fill the void. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander both recently suffered season-ending injuries, starting Mykal Walker on Sunday against the Browns after previously being on the practice squad. Leonard could realistically come in and compete for a starting spot or fit into the rotation with Walker, Jack and Elandon Roberts to help stabilize this group for Pittsburgh.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo could use depth at linebacker as this defense has been hit by several key injuries this season, including Matt Milano. Not to mention, the Bills also lost linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in free agency last offseason. So there is a gap here that Leonard could fill. Tyrel Dodson and Terrel Bernard were the starting linebackers, and Leonard could be a rotation option the Bills could target.
Philadelphia Eagles
If Leonard wants to be a legitimate contributor to a Super Bowl contender, the Eagles make perfect sense as a landing spot now that he is a free agent. Philly has relied on Zach Cunningham and Nicholas Morrow as the linebacker duo after Nakobe Dean was placed on injured reserve due to a Lisfranc injury. Leonard would be an ideal complement to Cunningham and Morrow to strengthen this position group for the postseason. It’s also worth noting that there’s a familiarity here with head coach Nick Sirianni, who served as the Colts’ offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2020 and saw firsthand what Leonard is capable of when he’s firing on all cylinders.
Chicago Bears
If Leonard is looking for a team to team up with for playoff success, the Bears are not the fit for him. However, there is a relationship here with Chicago with head coach Matt Eberflus. He was Leonard’s defensive coordinator in Indy when he first came to the league in 2018 and during his most productive years in the league. If Leonard wants to rekindle that magic, then Chicago makes perfect sense.