In a move that caps a rollercoaster career, former All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard is set to retire officially as a member of the Indianapolis Colts this weekend. The ceremony, planned for halftime of the team's Week 5 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, marks the end of an era for one of the league's most electric defenders. Leonard, who burst onto the scene in 2018 after being drafted in the second round out of South Carolina State, quickly became a household name—leading the NFL in tackles as a rookie and earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Indeed, those early years were nothing short of spectacular. Leonard snagged three First-Team All-Pro nods in his first four seasons, a feat that seemed to promise a Hall of Fame trajectory. But injuries derailed the momentum. Back surgeries in 2022 limited him to just three games that year, and by the 2023 offseason, the Colts released him—a tough pill for a player who'd been the heart of their defense. He bounced to the Philadelphia Eagles and even visited the Dallas Cowboys, yet never quite recaptured that maniacal intensity on the field, as fans fondly called it.
Moreover, Leonard's story includes a personal layer: his decision back in 2022 to go by his middle name, Shaquille, instead of Darius, which he said better reflected his identity. Off the field, he's been vocal about his peace with the game's uncertainties, telling reporters last summer he was "waiting on that opportunity" but content either way. Now, at 30, with 143 career games under his belt—including 4.5 sacks and 12 interceptions—the linebacker chooses to hang it up where it all began, in Indianapolis.
However, the timing feels poignant amid the Colts' current 2-3 start, a reminder of how fragile football glory can be. Leonard's legacy, though shortened by setbacks, underscores the raw talent that once terrorized quarterbacks league-wide.
As the final whistle approaches on his career, one wonders what untapped chapters might have unfolded without the injuries.