Indianapolis Colts release Shaquille Leonard and he still attends team turkey drive. What happens to him now?
It’s not often that you see the level of commitment and honor displayed by the now-former Colts player. His future may be in doubt but his character is not.
To hear the All-Pro linebacker tell it, he was completely blindsided by the team’s decision to release him, however, the blow was not enough to stop him from joining the team to do his part in giving back to the community.
Colts’ Shaquille Leonard attends turkey drive after release
One has to wonder what was on Shaquille Leonard’s mind as he drove a few hours to help his Indianapolis Colts teammates hand out turkeys to members of the community on Tuesday. Just hours before, the linebacker was cut by the team meaning he had no obligation to be there. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old was very much present as he spent about two hours handing out Thanksgiving birds, interacting with Colts fans, signing autographs for fans, and of course spending time with his soon-to-be former teammates. Speaking about the situation, the linebacker admitted that his release was “very tough, mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
To bring you up to speed, The Colts released Leonard in a surprise move on Tuesday, just two years after signing him to a five-year, $98.5 million extension. At the time, the deal made Leonard the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL. It wasn’t hype either, as he was quite frankly one of the best players in the league across his first four seasons in the league, a period during which he was named to three All-Pro teams while also securing the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2018.
So, what happened to Shaquille Leonard?
As is the case with many top-level athletes, the specter of injury came calling. In Leonard’s case, it was a number of them but the most serious among them was his back, which eventually required surgery. Sadly, it didn’t stop there either as he went under the knife once again in November last year. Though he recovered in time to start the 2023-24 season and managed to start all nine of the Colts games, it was clear that the number of snaps he was facing was declining. Ultimately a meeting with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley on Monday was when he was informed that he would be made inactive for the team’s Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The following day - Tuesday - he was released “I guess I got my November meeting,” Leonard said in reference to asking weeks prior for a progress report-styled meeting. “I guess you have to be careful what you ask for.”
OK, what happens to Shaquille Leonard now?
We’re not entirely sure, but what we do know is that Leonard will have to go through a number of waivers. Should he remain unclaimed he will then be free to negotiate with any team. “I want to be sure that they understand that I can play ball,” Leonard said as he expressed his desire to not only continue his career but prove the Colts wrong.