Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard remained sidelined at minicamp Tuesday as he continues to recover from offseason back surgery.
This doesn’t really come as a surprise considering no timetable has been given this offseason. Leonard and the Colts are expected to take this recovery slow to ensure the star linebacker can stay on the field whenever he returns.
#Colts LB Shaq Leonard (back surgery) is here but not practicing.
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) June 13, 2023
Leonard initially had surgery last offseason, which forced him to miss training camp and the preseason. He missed the first three games of the regular season but suffered a broken nose and concussion during his debut, keeping him off the field for another three weeks.
When he returned from that, Leonard still didn’t look like himself. It wasn’t until interim head coach Jeff Saturday suggested he shut everything down that Leonard had a second surgery.
He told reporters during the spring that he feels much better about his prognosis, but there still isn’t a clear timetable for his return.
“I’m feeling better. Feeling a whole lot better than what I did at any point of the year last year. Moving around a whole lot better, I’ve got more power in the calf. It’s still not where I want to be,” Leonard said in April.
It’s likely we won’t see Leonard until training camp at the earliest and even then there’s a good chance he misses time when the team returns from summer break.
