Indianapolis Colts outside linebacker Shaquille Leonard spent last season dealing with a variety of injuries. All of those injuries caused him to miss the back half of the season. He has not played in pads since week 9 of last year. Leonard underwent back surgery and admitted in a recent interview that he did not know whether he would ever play again.
Indianapolis Colts Shaquille Leonard On Long Rehab Road
Leonard is excited to be back on the field after a very long recovery.
“It was very emotional just to come out here and just to have full contact and just get back in the element of playing football,” Leonard told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales on Inside Training Camp Live on Sunday. “It’s been a long journey, and I’m just happy and excited to be able to come out here and play for this team.”
“Not being able to do a calf raise, just feeling pain every morning when you wake up, can’t bend, can’t lift, can’t twist, so you have them thoughts,” Leonard said. “But you just have to make sure you continue to fight through all the bad things that you’re going through, and truly just focus on the wins, the small wins, the small gains every day, and that’s what’s getting me through it.
With how limited he was physically, he feels blessed to be in a position to play again in 2023.
Colts Will Need Their Defense To Step Up
Anthony Richardson is going to go through some growing pains. The best thing that can happen for Richardson is for the defense to be good. If they can limit the amount of points opponents score, there will be less pressure on Richardson to score on every drive. This should reduce mistakes and make the rookie feel more comfortable. For the Colts, 2023 is all about seeing improvement throughout the year with Richardson.
The Indianapolis Colts have to be happy to see Shaquille Leonard back on the field. Hopefully, he will have a bounceback year and can prove that he can be a force at the outside linebacker position.