Colts released Shaq Leonard

[KB]

Thanks for the good time Leonard! It was great watching you and I'll always remember the clutch turnovers you created. Best of luck on future ventures.

[Never_Quit]

I knew he would be cut at the end of this season but this is truly jaw dropping.

 

If he goes full Jerry Hughes and balls out on another team I'm not sure how I'd feel. On one hand he's been one of my favorite Colts ever, but you can tell he is just not the same player (and likely never will be again).

 

I remember reading on here about his "minor back surgery". Aint no such thing as minor back surgery.

[Superman]

2 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Saying they will do what’s best for the team indicates he was causing problems.

 

That could indicate a lot of things. 

[w87r]

 

**Should say "would save $6m"

[Mr. Irrelevant]

1 minute ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Guys with Leonard’s hard exterior eventually run out of favor when things don’t go his way. 

That generalization is out of line… 

[stitches]

Kind of a sad ending to his Colts career. I expected us to cut him in the off-season, but it seems like the noise he was making over the last few months about playing time accelerated this decision. You cannot have a player who's been team captain and has the gravitas of Leonard in the locker room continuously make a point of airing his displeasure with his role. If he wasn't willing to accept the coaches decisions and was going to continue being a distraction, I guess this was the best decision for both him and the team.

 

Wish him the best wherever he ends up. 

[colts89]

Sad. This tells me the Colts think he's capped at his current level of play due to his injuries. Even if that's the case, he's been the best overall LB on this team the last couple of weeks (besides the Patriots game) so I'm a bit confused why they released him before the end of the year. It's not like we save more by cutting him now.

 

Anyone saying he quit after he got the bag is an absolute troglodyte or simply an *. The injury he fought through has simply capped his production and it wasn't warranted to continue paying him what he was getting payed. I'll leave it at that 

[w87r]

11 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Irsay seems to indicate this was the colts decision.

What about that tweet indicated that, or is there something else?

[superrep1967]

18 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

He had to of asked for this. But he couldn’t wait 7 games so there wasn’t a distraction. 

Wonder if his complaining led to this. 

Maybe, good point!

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

1 minute ago, Mr. Irrelevant said:

That generalization is out of line… 

It happens all the time. In sports and even elsewhere. Even coaching.  They usually run their course  quickly. 

[stitches]

1 minute ago, Superman said:

 

That could indicate a lot of things. 

I mean... he's been loud over several weeks now about his role and how he thinks he should be getting more snaps and how he doesn't understand why he's not playing more. I think it was pretty obvious that if he's willing to go in front of the media with this strongly worded statements, then he probably is saying this ... and more behind the scenes... 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

1 minute ago, stitches said:

I mean... he's been loud over several weeks now about his role and how he thinks he should be getting more snaps and how he doesn't understand why he's not playing more. I think it was pretty obvious that if he's willing to go in front of the media with this strongly worded statements, then he probably is saying this ... and more behind the scenes... 

I knew when he started running his mouth it wasn’t going to end well.

[Superman]

1 minute ago, stitches said:

Kind of a sad ending to his Colts career. I expected us to cut him in the off-season, but it seems like the noise he was making over the last few months about playing time accelerated this decision. You cannot have a player who's been team captain and has the gravitas of Leonard in the locker room continuously make a point of airing his displeasure with his role. If he wasn't willing to accept the coaches decisions and was going to continue being a distraction, I guess this was the best decision for both him and the team.

 

Wish him the best wherever he ends up. 

 

He's been a captain since 2019, including this season. 

 

I don't think he could continue to air his differences every time he saw a microphone, but I do understand his frustration with the situation. 

 

It's not something that changes the trajectory of the team, I don't think. He was probably going to be gone after the season, assuming he didn't return to form over the next seven games. And maybe the greater risk was of him getting hurt again in an increased role, and they didn't want his 2024 injury guarantee to kick in. I think I understand not wanting to commit to him. But this seems to have come out of nowhere, with really weird timing. 

 

Steichen might not be able to coachspeak his way through tomorrow's presser... 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

 

[superrep1967]

Does this affect the cap at all? Does anyone know?

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Just now, superrep1967 said:

Does this affect the cap at all? Does anyone know?

Yes it will give us extra cap room especially next year. Dead cap of around 8 million next year.

[Dingus McGirt]

17 minutes ago, Superman said:

This is wild. 

I believe it was time.

[ProblChld32]

15 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Irsay seems to indicate this was the colts decision.

I don’t think his tweet eluded to that tbh. It could very well have been Shaq who requested his release.

[JediXMan]

Sad to see it end this way but the Colts do save a lot in cap space and Ballard is good at drafting LBers (Franklin,Speed). Hopefully he uses some of that cap money to get some game changers on the O.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Speed getting more snaps hopefully. 

Just now, ProblChld32 said:

I don’t think his tweet eluded to that tbh. It could very well have been Shaq who requested his release.

He labeled it just a business.

[Superman]

3 minutes ago, stitches said:

I mean... he's been loud over several weeks now about his role and how he thinks he should be getting more snaps and how he doesn't understand why he's not playing more. I think it was pretty obvious that if he's willing to go in front of the media with this strongly worded statements, then he probably is saying this ... and more behind the scenes... 

 

It's still a leap to conclude that this is because they were unhappy with him voicing his displeasure. By the way, I don't think he was disrespectful or overly combative in his comments to begin with. I guess whenever a player has a beef with the team, legitimate or not, some people will always side with the team...

 

Also, why couldn't this indicate that he asked for his release? 

[Chrisaaron1023]

Wooooooooooooow

[chad72]

It feels like a bitter divorce from the outside, not an amicable parting. Otherwise, it would have been done in the off season. No matter which party initiated it, both decided to end it.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Shane and accountability maybe?

 

 

[Superman]

3 minutes ago, superrep1967 said:

Does this affect the cap at all? Does anyone know?

 

If he clears waivers, the Colts still pay the remaining $6m in 2023, and nothing more. Dead money in 2024 is $8m.

 

If another team claims him, that team will pay the remaining $6m in 2023, instead of the Colts. Dead money in 2024 is still $8m.

[w87r]

4 minutes ago, superrep1967 said:

Does this affect the cap at all? Does anyone know?

Saves $12m in cap space next year, and if claimed saves $6m more additional this year.

[AKB]

not surprising

[chad72]

Well, at least for now, the forum will move on to another punching bag  

 

[KB]

Really wish we would of kept Okereke now

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

 

[w87r]

24 minutes ago, Never_Quit said:

this is truly jaw dropping.

Yeah,

 

Moosejaw dropping on the floor laughing, when he realizes he can come on here and claim to be right. 

 

 

[chad72]

Just now, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

 

 

Grover Stewart, Kenny Moore, Pittman, Tee Higgins are all Colts players next year  

[Never_Quit]

7 minutes ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

 

 

Apparently I've been blocked by James Boyd. Lol... Dude is awful.

[TrueBlue4ever]

Never a dull moment in the Corral. Both sides seem content, thanks Maniac for all that you did and best to you and your family moving forward. There will be a place that signs him, so our immediate focus is Tampa. 

[colts89]

4 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

It's still a leap to conclude that this is because they were unhappy with him voicing his displeasure. By the way, I don't think he was disrespectful or overly combative in his comments to begin with. I guess whenever a player has a beef with the team, legitimate or not, some people will always side with the team...

 

Also, why couldn't this indicate that he asked for his release? 

I'd hope one of the captains of the Defense wants to play more snaps. That's all he asked for. I bet that the coaching/medical staff just wouldn't give it to him due to his new limitations so they reached this standstill.

[HungarianColtsFan]

Wow...I'm out of words.

 

He did not play well this season, still I thought he would endure till the end of the season.

[stitches]

4 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

He's been a captain since 2019, including this season. 

 

I don't think he could continue to air his differences every time he saw a microphone, but I do understand his frustration with the situation. 

 

It's not something that changes the trajectory of the team, I don't think. He was probably going to be gone after the season, assuming he didn't return to form over the next seven games. And maybe the greater risk was of him getting hurt again in an increased role, and they didn't want his 2024 injury guarantee to kick in. I think I understand not wanting to commit to him. But this seems to have come out of nowhere, with really weird timing. 

 

Steichen might not be able to coachspeak his way through tomorrow's presser... 

Yeah... agreed on this not changing the trajectory of the team. That's why I don't consider this to be a huge move. IMO one way or another this was going to happen over the next few months. The avoidance of his injury guarantee kicking in is an interesting point that might have contributed to the Colts decision. 

 

I don't know what Steichen is even supposed to say. He might just refer the journalists to the statements the team and Irsay made. That's how he was dealing with the Taylor stuff. "First before you ask - I heard about Taylor, I won't comment any further than what the team has said" Or something of the sort. And on followups he will just say "I stand up with the decision the team made", etc.... 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

That tweet from Kevin had me shook. If this was Shane and accountability I love this change. It’s about time.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Welp there you go.

 

 

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

Headed to CHI?