Shaquille Leonard will not play in Week 2 for the Indianapolis Colts, per Ian Rapoport. The news comes as a bit of a surprise given the fact that Leonard practiced all week. Nevertheless, Indianapolis is clearly not willing to risk further injury. Rapoport also reported that the Colts ruled out wide receiver Alec Pierce ahead of their clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
The Colts were forced to play without Shaquille Leonard in Week 1 as well. Leonard, a crucial player for the Indianapolis defense, underwent surgery this past offseason. Although he's put in hard work during his rehab, the linebacker is not quite ready for in-game action.
Many people around the NFL world felt as if Leonard would be ready to return in Week 2. Head coach Frank Reich even stated that Leonard was making impressive progress last week. Leonard himself said he was feeling better this week than he did last week, per Zak Keefer.
“Feeling better than last week. Practice going pretty smooth,” Shaquille Leonard said earlier this week. “Felt smooth. (It) was just like a normal day for me, wasn’t as sore as I was last week.”
Nevertheless, it will be at least one more week before the Colts get their star linebacker back.
There is no question that Indianapolis would benefit from his presence on the field. They were unable to take care of business against the lowly Houston Texas in a Week 1 matchup that ended in a tie.
The Colts will aim for better results against the Jaguars in Week 2 despite Shaquille Leonard's absence.
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