Colts LB Shaq Leonard gets brutally honest when discussing limited role
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaq Leonard expressed his frustration with his decreased playing time and role this season.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaq Leonard has been a fixture of the team’s defense for years, but with his playing time and role on this year’s team steadily decreasing, he spoke out about his disappointment and confusion yet again, via James Boyd.
“It’s frustrating when you’re standing on the sideline knowing that you’re capable of going out there and competing at a high level,” Leonard told reporters. “It sucks. It sucks, but my feeling don’t win football games. It is what it is. It’s their decision.”
Leonard missed nearly all of the 2022 season with injuries and had two back surgeries performed in a span of five months. Leonard, a 3-time All Pro and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, hasn’t appeared to be as effective as he was before the injuries and surgeries last year, ranking 46th out of 81 eligible linebackers in Pro Football Focus’s player grades this season.
While Shaq Leonard knows he can play at a high level, it seems clear he’s no longer the All-Pro level linebacker he once was. That can be a bitter pill to swallow, but it is surprising that the Colts aren’t giving him more playing time given his leadership and the lack of other real better alternatives defensively.
