I'm not going to say that I'm necessarily surprised by this move from the Colts, but it definitely sucks. Shaquille Leonard was released from Indy today after he became a shell of his former self from a really shitty back injury. He went from a three-time All-Pro starting 95% of defensive snaps to watching most of the games this year from the sidelines. It's a sad sight to see, especially if you're a Colts fan and have watched this amazing man save multiple games for us by living up to his nickname "The Maniac."
It all started his rookie year when he came out of nowhere and put the league on notice by finishing first overall in total tackles. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year, due to his fantastic ability to just be everywhere on the field at once. Whether it was forcing fumbles, wrecking QBs, or intercepting passes, Shaq (then known as Darius) Leonard was there, torturing offenses all over the league. Remember that game against the Texans where they were about to score to seal a win and then he punched the ball out and saved our asses? That was fucking awesome. Leonard adopted the "peanut punch" like it was his own and became a fucking monster that elevated the Colts' defense to a level it did not deserve to be at. I'd also like to mention that even though we Colts fans saw him dominate every single week, he was constantly underrated by everyone else and was essentially an afterthought to many analysts. We knew the real truth though. Shaq Leonard was fucking awesome. Then the injury bug hit him like a fucking Mac truck.
We all had the hope that he would come back and just go right back to business. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. He lasted one game before his face got smashed in and his back got fucked up again and he was gone for the rest of the season. When he came back, the defense was completely different and Zaire Franklin had taken over as the new beast of Indy's defense. He struggled to make his usual plays, and he just did not look one bit comfortable any time that he was on the field. Again, it was bullshit. Our shining star on defense was fizzling out right before our eyes. And now his story with the Colts is over.
Even after his release, a video came out today of him still handing out turkeys to families for Thanksgiving in Indy. Why? Because he's a fucking outstanding dude, that's why. There are not many players who've made an impact in such little time in Indy, and it's going to suck if he ends up being on another team one day, but I wish him nothing but the best. Zaire is more than capable of holding things down for us and I'm more than positive that Leonard is ecstatic for his boy's opportunity. Thank you for everything Shaquille Leonard, we didn't deserve you brother.
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