As the Indianapolis Colts made moves to create their initial 53-man roster, the team activated Shaquille Leonard from the PUP list.
On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts had to trim their roster down to 53 players and that led to the team releasing a lot of quality players. However, Indy also made a move that got a lot of fans excited. The team removed All-Pro linebacker, Shaquille Leonard, from the PUP list to the active roster.
While this move doesn’t necessarily mean that Leonard will be ready to play in Week 1, it does give him a chance. If the Colts left Leonard on the physically unable to perform list, he would have to sit out for the first four weeks; not just games either, but practices as well. Activating Leonard to the active roster gives him the opportunity to practice with the team and suit up for a game whenever Indianapolis determines his body is ready.
Everyone is hoping that point comes sometime between now and the season opener on September 11 when the Colts play the Houston Texans, but there’s no telling when Leonard will be ready. A timetable for Leonard’s return has been a mystery all offseason.
Don't run at Shaquille Leonard 😤 pic.twitter.com/P5wL4GvJl9
— PFF (@PFF) August 28, 2022
Shaquille Leonard’s actual return for Colts remains unclear
The team isn’t trying to be intentionally discreet about Leonard’s return, it’s just that his current challenge isn’t something that a timetable can be placed on. His injury was addressed with a back surgery this offseason but now the battle is building everything back up to full strength.
Once Leonard is at full strength, or near it, you can expect the team to clear him so that he can join his teammates for what should be a promising season. As one of the best defenders in the league, Leonard is now surrounded by an even more talented defense that he hasn’t had a chance to take the field with.
The Colts’ defense has already flashed moments of dominance, so things will be even scarier for opposing offenses once a healthy Leonard is added to the mix. While it’s still unclear when that will be, Leonard being removed from the PUP list shows that he’ll likely be back sooner rather than later.
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