The Indianapolis Colts welcomed Shaquille Leonard back to practice and the All-Pro linebacker is already looking like himself.
On Wednesday, perennial Pro Bowl linebacker, Shaquille Leonard, suited up and took the field with the Indianapolis Colts for the first time since the team’s embarrassing Week 18 loss in Jacksonville last season. Although Indy has had OTAs, minicamp, training camp, and three preseason games, their leader Leonard was sidelined through it all.
The reason why is that Leonard had an offseason back surgery to address a nerve issue that was responsible for his lingering ankle problem. While the surgery fixed the issue, the team never gave Leonard a timeline to return because it was just a matter of him getting back to full strength and no one knew when that would be.
Well, on Tuesday, the Colts removed Shaquille from the PUP list to the active roster, and on Wednesday, Leonard was on the field practicing in full equipment. While he still has a ways to go before he’s cleared for an actual game, Leonard looked a lot like himself recording an impressive turnover in his first action back.
The Maniac. 😈 pic.twitter.com/tLVfzLXFv2
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 31, 2022
Shaquille Leonard makes impressive interception in first practice back
While it’s just day one for Leonard, this provides a lot of hope that he will be able to take the field with the Colts in Week 1 against the Houston Texans, however, that is probably an uphill battle. Leonard hasn’t played any football all offseason, so Indy will probably want to be smart with his ramp-up process.
Everyone wants Leonard to be on the field in Week 1 and play all 17 games, but even more important is Leonard being on the field in Week 18 and throughout Indy’s playoff run. So Shaquille shouldn’t be rushed until everyone feels that he is actually ready.
Whenever that is, he will join a potentially elite defense and bring his proven elite skillset to the field. As evident in the highlight from his first practice back, Leonard still has his turnover instincts and he’ll definitely bring that for the Colts whenever he debuts.
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