The Indianapolis Colts fanbase got a huge shock recently after the release of Shaquille Leonard. Leonard, one of their standout players in years past, was looking for more playing time. Since the trade deadline had passed, the team decided instead to release the LB, making him a free agent. It was a move that surprised a lot of people.

With Leonard being a long-time member of the Colts, his absence was bound to be felt. In an interview with the Indy Star, Zaire Franklin and Jonathan Taylor talked about the emotions upon learning of Leonard's departure.

“To be honest, I didn’t believe it,” Colts' MLB Zaire Franklin said. “It sounded so crazy to me. Being here for the whole journey, for the whole ride, it was hard to see it coming to the end like that. When I got the news, I just shot him a text, told him how much he meant to me, told him how much I care about him, how much I believed in everything he’s about.”

“You know those signature sounds,” running back Jonathan Taylor said. “When you can’t see him, but you hear it, and you know: ‘That’s Shaq right there.’ When certain songs are playing, you know he’s on the (auxiliary cord). Not having him around, that’s going to take some getting used to.”

Leonard was one of the cornerstones of a Colts defense that was one of the best units in the league. However, as with most players, injuries started to chip at this abilities on the field. He underwent two back surgeries last year that forced him to miss significant time.

Back injuries are a death knell to any athlete, and that's doubly true for an NFL player. Shaquille Leonard played a career-low 70% of defensive snaps this season, a testament to the team's belief in the LB. We'll see if a team tries to take a crack at the former All-Pro LB.