Shaq Leonard underwent back surgery, out for season

[HungarianColtsFan]

 

I've committed a typo in the title, Mods please correct it!

[Rhodelesstraveled]

I posted this already in another forum. 

[GoColts8818]

Not surprised.  Sounded a lot like when Peyton had to get a second surgery.  Has to be a very frustrating year for him.  Hopefully this one works like the second one did for Peyton.  (Yes I know that was a neck vs a back).

[lollygagger8]

This isn't a very popular opinion, but can certainly I see him retiring early 

[Superman]

2 minutes ago, lollygagger8 said:

This isn't a very popular opinion, but can certainly I see him retiring early 

 

I've been nervous since he was missing practice early in the offseason. That nervousness has never really gone away. 

[coltsfanej]

Just now, lollygagger8 said:

This isn't a very popular opinion, but can certainly I see him retiring early 

I agree. I’ve thought that since he had the concussion issue a year or two ago. My hope is that this fixes his issues and he comes back 100% next year and gives us a couple more prime years. 

[chad72]

Hope he comes back well next year and wins comeback player of the year. Our LBs have been playing pretty well so far except on the turnover part.

[DougDew]

While surgery can relieve pressure on a nerve, it doesn't repair nerve damage...if its damaged.   Peyton still had nerve-firing issues after the surgeries were exhausted.

[Nickster]

58 minutes ago, lollygagger8 said:

This isn't a very popular opinion, but can certainly I see him retiring early 

 

I've said that for years, but then again, I've had some unpopular opinions on here, lol. 

[shasta519]

5 minutes ago, Nickster said:

 

I've said that for years, but then again, I've had some unpopular opinions on here, lol. 

 

Same here. Much more recently though, as the red flags have started to pile up.

 

I have always thought he was basically a big WR playing LBer. That's part of what made it him so great, but it could have also led to this point. 

[Nickster]

Just now, shasta519 said:

 

Same here. Much more recently though, as the red flags have started to pile up.

 

I have always thought he was basically a big WR playing LBer. That's part of what made it him so great, but it could have also led to this point. 

 

He had a really bad concussion his 2nd season .

 

This was one of the quotes:

 

"The third week, that's when I really started thinking, 'Wait a minute. Now I have a wife and kid. I've had a headache for three weeks. Will I ever be the same? Do I keep playing?'" Leonard said Monday, per The Athletic's Stephen Holder. "You have those thoughts in the back of your head."

 

It was a red flag.  I think he lost a bunch of weight that year too, and I was wondering how he was going to absorb that many hits at 215 lbs. 

 

Then you had the falling out of love with the game thing last year I think.  Then you had a guy get surgery right before camp started rather than earlier which seemed strange. 

 

Darius is a different cat.  I think it's possible his mind is elsewhere, but I certainly don't know.

 

[shasta519]

52 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Hope he comes back well next year and wins comeback player of the year. Our LBs have been playing pretty well so far except on the turnover part.

 

I think he will be back next season if he can. But the bigger issue is whether he can actually do it.

 

Reich basically told us this earlier this season, but I think a lot of people just shrugged it off as coach speak. He said "he wasn't ready to play winning football." That made me think the surgery didn't take or fix the problems. I was hoping it just meant a longer rehab (something Colts fans know all too well).

 

But it looks like it was the former and not the latter.

[jbaron04]

1 hour ago, GoColts8818 said:

Not surprised.  Sounded a lot like when Peyton had to get a second surgery.  Has to be a very frustrating year for him.  Hopefully this one works like the second one did for Peyton.  (Yes I know that was a neck vs a back).

Yea Peyton ended up getting 4 surgery’s on his neck and he said the feeling in the nerves never came back so he still doesn’t have feeling in his finger tips so I don’t think it’s looking good for shaq 

[Nickster]

1 minute ago, shasta519 said:

 

I think he will be back next season if he can. But the bigger issue is whether he can actually do it.

 

Reich basically told us this earlier this season, but I think a lot of people just shrugged it off as coach speak. He said "he wasn't ready to play winning football." That made me think the surgery didn't take or fix the problems. I was hoping it just meant a longer rehab (something Colts fans know all too well).

 

But it looks like it was the former and not the latter.

 

If I were him, I'd stick around at least until the big money on my contract ran out. 

[shasta519]

3 minutes ago, Nickster said:

 

He had a really bad concussion his 2nd season .

 

This was one of the quotes:

 

"The third week, that's when I really started thinking, 'Wait a minute. Now I have a wife and kid. I've had a headache for three weeks. Will I ever be the same? Do I keep playing?'" Leonard said Monday, per The Athletic's Stephen Holder. "You have those thoughts in the back of your head."

 

It was a red flag.  I think he lost a bunch of weight that year too, and I was wondering how he was going to absorb that many hits at 215 lbs. 

 

Then you had the falling out of love with the game thing last year I think.  Then you had a guy get surgery right before camp started rather than earlier which seemed strange. 

 

Darius is a different cat.  I think it's possible his mind is elsewhere, but I certainly don't know.

 

 

And he started going by Shaquille, which isn't all that strange on the surface, but to your point, add it to the rest of everythinig...and he's a different cat.

[CoachLite]

40 minutes ago, DougDew said:

While surgery can relieve pressure on a nerve, it doesn't repair nerve damage...if its damaged.   Peyton still had nerve-firing issues after the surgeries were exhausted.

Graph surgery with the addition of stem cells have shown promise.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7175760/

[Nickster]

1 minute ago, shasta519 said:

 

And he started going by Shaquille, which isn't all that strange on the surface, but to your point, add it to the rest of everythinig...and he's a different cat.

 

Well the other thing is that playing football is a very unhealthy activity and even though most of us on here are probably of the rub some dirt on it upbringing, that ain't necessarily that wise lol. 

1 minute ago, CoachLite said:

Graph surgery with the addition of stem cells have shown promise.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7175760/

 

Hey dude tell me more about this herniated umbilical cord.  God that sound ugly.

[CoachLite]

1 minute ago, Nickster said:

 

Well the other thing is that playing football is a very unhealthy activity and even though most of us on here are probably of the rub some dirt on it upbringing, that ain't necessarily that wise lol. 

 

Hey dude tell me more about this herniated umbilical cord.  God that sound ugly.

It's where your intestines pop through your belly button but under the skin. Looks gross. Can be fixed surgically.

[FanOutOfTown]

Hate it for the guy. Just can’t seem to stay healthy. Treading into dangerous territory now where he may have to think about long term health and if this is worth it anymore.

[DougDew]

2 minutes ago, Nickster said:

 

Well the other thing is that playing football is a very unhealthy activity and even though most of us on here are probably of the rub some dirt on it upbringing, that ain't necessarily that wise lol. 

IIRC, Leonard took a very risk averse position with the vax issue.  I seem to recall he was very deliberative and was not wanting to take any chances.  I'm not debating the merits of that issue, but the tone I got is that he is much more risk averse about his health than the typical human who chooses football as a career.   Retirement would not surprise me. 

[pgt_rob]

Sucks. I've said this so many times. We have some blue chip players and we needed to take advantage and be aggressive to try and win a Super Bowl because the window for these guys is short. We're going to be drafting the same positions again soon.

[shasta519]

3 minutes ago, jbaron04 said:

Yea Peyton ended up getting 4 surgery’s on his neck and he said the feeling in the nerves never came back so he still doesn’t have feeling in his finger tips so I don’t think it’s looking good for shaq 

 

Yep. Manning had a neck surgery right after the 2010 season. That surgery didn't work, so in May during the 2011 lockout, he had another neck surgery that nobody knew about. 

 

That one failed too. And by late July, he could barely throw. So he was hiding from the public and trying to rehab with Helton, just praying the nerve would fire or that his arm would come back.

 

And it never did, at least not until after the fusion surgery. 

[shasta519]

17 minutes ago, Nickster said:

 

If I were him, I'd stick around at least until the big money on my contract ran out. 

 

For sure. Colts don't really have an out until after the 2023 season anyways. 

[ADnum1]

2nd back surgery?

 

I thought he had one in TC

[John Hammonds]

I keep saying it, and nobody listens to me.

 

"It is bad luck to change your name or your jersey number once you are in the league."

[BlackTiger]

3 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

This isn't a very popular opinion, but can certainly I see him retiring early 

I can definitely see him retiring early but I think he will want to come back and play at least a couple more years if its physically possible.  The money might be too good to walk away from this early 

[BlackTiger]

2 hours ago, Nickster said:

If I were him, I'd stick around at least until the big money on my contract ran out. 

The team can cut him for just an 8 million cap hit after next year.  Not exactly a small hit but the team would save a lot doing it if he cant play like he used to

[Indy87]

Colts need to let him go but ballrd won’t. 

[Defjamz26]

It sucks because he’s a passionate player who I’ve never seen phone it in, but you have to look at the bigger picture. He’s a 218 pound LB that is getting $15 mil a year, has had 2 back surgeries with nerve issues, and isn’t getting any younger. The best thing for him to do would be to retire, but the Colts should move on if he doesn’t. It sucks to say that, but he’s no longer an asset. He’s a liability.

[Jeff Monday]

3 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

I keep saying it, and nobody listens to me.

 

"It is bad luck to change your name or your jersey number once you are in the league."

One exception might be Campbell- when he was 15 everybody wanted him gone, but he’s been alright this season wearing 1 (I know he wore it last season also, but this year’s certainly been a lil better lol)

[NewColtsFan]

6 hours ago, shasta519 said:

 

And he started going by Shaquille, which isn't all that strange on the surface, but to your point, add it to the rest of everythinig...and he's a different cat.

He started to use his middle name.   The name his family and close friends call him. 
 

Gasp!    Shocking!!

 

What a different cat.   Dear God.     

[NewColtsFan]

3 hours ago, Indy87 said:

Colts need to let him go but ballrd won’t. 

There's this thing called the Dead Cap hit.   It’s not like the Colts can just cut him without huge financial complications.   

[CanuckColtsFan]

I hope he gets well soon

[lollygagger8]

12 hours ago, BlackTiger said:

I can definitely see him retiring early but I think he will want to come back and play at least a couple more years if its physically possible.  The money might be too good to walk away from this early 

 

I think he's already gotten paid enough

[Indy87]

8 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

There's this thing called the Dead Cap hit.   It’s not like the Colts can just cut him without huge financial complications.   

isnt his contract for 4 more seasons? I’d drop him at the end of the season. 

[shasta519]

10 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

He started to use his middle name.   The name his family and close friends call him. 
 

Gasp!    Shocking!!

 

What a different cat.   Dear God.     

 

"which isn't all that strange on the surface," 

[BlackTiger]

11 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

There's this thing called the Dead Cap hit.   It’s not like the Colts can just cut him without huge financial complications.   

Going by spotrac he looks cuttable to me after next season.  Its not exactly cheap but they could take an 8 million $ hit to save a lot of money then.

 

Hes been adamant that he wants to come back and isn't thinking about retiring.  I think it makes sense for both sides to see how he can do next year and if it isn't going well they might start having those talks then.

[GoColts8818]

12 hours ago, Jeff Sunday said:

One exception might be Campbell- when he was 15 everybody wanted him gone, but he’s been alright this season wearing 1 (I know he wore it last season also, but this year’s certainly been a lil better lol)

Harbaugh went from 12 to 4 after his first season with the Colts and was the near MVP of the league after that switch.  Rigo also changed his number a couple of years ago and has been fine.

[smittywerb]

Seen this coming.  This is a lost season.  Let him get healed up 100%.  Fix everything now.

[LJpalmbeacher2]

23 hours ago, Nickster said:

 

I've said that for years, but then again, I've had some unpopular opinions on here, lol. 

Lol, like mine..... unpopular but often correct.