Shaquille Leonard injury history: Deep dive into ex-Colts LB's injury-prone career

It is shockingly official: Shaquille Leonard is no longer a Colt.

On Tuesday, the Indianapolis franchise released its long-serving linebacker, who posted the following message on his X account:

Speaking to ESPN's Stephen Holder while distributing Thanksgiving food, Leonard said:

"It was shocking. I asked for a November meeting. I guess I got a November meeting. I guess you've got to be careful what you ask for."

However, he is not bitter about his stint ending.

"Everybody doesn't understand my drive. Everybody doesn't understand how competitive I am. It's cool. There's no hard feelings," he added.

Since the trade deadline has passed, Leonard must first clear waivers before joining another team. At the time of his release, he was under a five-year contract that he signed in 2021.

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Shaquille Leonard's injury history in the NFL

The release comes amid another frustrating time for Shaquille Leonard, as he saw a reduction in his playing time following a back injury that cut his 2022 season short. Around two weeks before his release, the 28-year-old expressed his frustration at being benched repeatedly despite being purportedly fully healthy.

"So that's when I kind of knew, and it sucked hearing that. You're already not playing on third [down]; you're taking the reps on second down too? So it's very heartbreaking to get that, but it is what it is," he said (via ABC News).

"Everybody says they want you to keep that fight up until you step on toes. I honestly don't know what to do. I have put my best foot forward every day."

However, the linebacker's injury problems can be traced back to his rookie season when he missed the Week 5 game against the defending champion New England Patriots because of an ankle injury. The Indianapolis Colts lost 24-38, part of a four-game losing streak and a 1-5 start that was offset by a subsequent 9-1 run.

In 2019, Leonard was forced to miss three games because of concussion-like symptoms. He remained relatively healthy in 2020, but the problems soon began.

After the 2021-22 season, he underwent back surgery to rectify a nerve issue, and speaking about the procedure on what was called Twitter at the time, he said:

Head coach Frank Reich said at the time (via IndyStar):

“He’s had a back issue that’s been a progressive thing that started early in the offseason and was fine, but it’s been something that’s progressed... It got worse, rather than better, but because he’s not practicing, we don’t even know that."

Eventually, team insider Joel Erickson revealed that it was causing him pain in his left leg.

Shaquille Leonard missed the first three games of 2022, but suffered a concussion and broken nose on his return, knocking him out of another three games. His back issues also reemerged, and the Colts placed him on season-ending IR.

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Shaquille Leonard career highlights

When it comes to defensive importance, Shaquille Leonard cannot be dismissed, as he was a key component of Indianapolis' post-Peyton Manning era. With the Colts, Leonard had the following accolades:

• 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year
• 2018 All-Rookie Team
• 4x All-Pro (first-team in 2018, 2020, and 2021; and second-team in 2019)
• 3x Pro Bowler (2019-2021)
• Led the league in tackles in 2018
• Led the league in forced fumbles in 2021

Leonard also made the playoffs twice (in 2018 and 2020), the first being with Andrew Luck as they made it to the Divisional Round. The second was with Philip Rivers in what would turn out to be his only time playing outside Southern California.