The Indianapolis Colts were hit with a troubling injury blow early on at mandatory minicamp. Star linebacker Darius Leonard has been sidelined by a back injury and will require surgery, according to Frank Reich. The defensive leader will miss a significant chunk of training camp after undergoing the knife, but the expectation around Indy is that the Colts will have Leonard back by the start of the regular season.
Darius Leonard is out with a back injury. Frank Reich announces the veteran LB will undergo a procedure and miss part of training camp. Expectation is he’s back for the regular season. #Colts
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) June 7, 2022
Obviously, it's worrying for the Colts to lose one of their key players to injury, but it's certainly better that he's getting the issue addressed sooner than later. By opting for surgery during the offseason, Leonard will hopefully avoid missing any regular-season action. When asked about a more clear timetable for Leonard's return, Reich indicated that was still unclear.
“Not sure on the timetable now, but in my mind as long as he’s ready for the regular season, I’m not concerned,” Reich said.
It's unclear when Leonard picked up the back injury, but he'll be placed on the shelf as he recovers from the surgery. The Colts could opt to hold him out of preseason action as a result of the injury, though no such indication has been made of yet.
Last season in Indy, Leonard made his fourth Pro Bowl and was selected the NFL's First-Team All-Pro for the third time in his career. He racked up 122 tackles across 17 games, registering 4 interceptions, 8 forced fumbles, 4 tackles for loss, and 3 QB hits. After acquiring Matt Ryan in the offseason, the Colts are looking to get back to the playoffs in 2022, so having Leonard available and at full strength throughout the season will be critical for the team.
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