FRISCO – As three-time All-Pro Shaq Leonard contemplates his NFL future – one we would suggest might be worth exploring with the Dallas Cowboys – he is taking a moment to reflect on a recent past he terms “shocking.”
“That’s what I’m most hurt about,” said Leonard, unceremoniously cut by the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. “I feel like I left (my teammates) out to dry, being a leader in that locker room.
Leonard (well-known as Darius Leonard but now going by his middle name as well as his high-energy nickname of “The Maniac”) has been one the league’s best linebackers since entering the NFL as a second-round pick of the Colts in 2018.
But Indy has recently lessened his playing time, maybe in part as a reflection of some level of decline in the 28-year-old’s play. Still, one of the reasons he is terming the move as “shocking” is because he thought he was being called into the front office on Tuesday to discuss his role …
As a rookie in 2018, Shaq Leonard led the NFL in tackles, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-Pro honors. Over the next three seasons he did much the same each year and earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in all of those seasons.
