Shaquille Leonard is nearing his return with the Indianapolis Colts and the linebacker has been taking note of all the critics he’s gained while injured.
This season has been terrible for Shaquille Leonard. Not only have the Indianapolis Colts been struggling but Leonard hasn’t been able to help out, no matter how much he wanted to. Entering Week 8, Shaq Leonard has played a total of 16 snaps. They were all in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans during Leonard’s first comeback game. Unfortunately, that comeback was halted when Shaq sustained a broken nose and a concussion, sending him back to the sideline.
As Leonard has been working hard since this summer to get back on the field, he’s had some time to see all of the nonsense that’s been said about him online and he’s been letting people know that he’s taking note of what’s being said. Shaq has never been shy about admitting that he uses doubt and criticism from others to fuel him and he should be pretty fueled when he steps back on the field because a lot of dirt has been put on his name.
For a summary of the kind of negative things that’s been said about him, you can look at Leonard’s likes on Twitter. All of the criticisms of the Colts, calls for Shaq to be traded, and questioning about his desire to play is logged in Leonard’s likes of tweets by people who are supposedly fans of Leonard or the team. Shaq hasn’t said much but he likes the tweets to let everyone know he sees them.
Shaq Leonard is KEEPING receipts 👀#PMSLive #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/y9muZ0vj4X
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 26, 2022
Colts will be getting a motivated Shaquille Leonard
Honestly, it’s a shame some of the things that have been said about Leonard during this tough time for him because all he has ever done is give his all to Indianapolis and the fans. While it’s terrible that Shaq hasn’t been able to play this season, it’s obvious that no one wants him back on the field more than Leonard himself. Seeing some of the fan base turn on him is just bizarre.
But if there’s a silver lining in all of this, it’s that Leonard will return motivated to remind everyone who he is, and that’s the best linebacker in football. On Thursday, Leonard spoke with the media and admitted that this entire season and return from injury has tested his patience but that he is finally feeling like himself again, saying, “I feel like a linebacker.”
After a full week of practice, Leonard should be back on the field for the Colts Sunday against the Washington Commanders. As he works his way back to his full form and starts impacting winning again for Indianapolis, all of the people in Leonard’s likes will begin looking foolish.
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