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Colts LB Shaquille Leonard Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

November 15th, 2022 at 12:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shaquille Leonard underwent a second back surgery this year, going under the knife Tuesday morning. This procedure will knock him out for the rest of the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

The Colts placed the three-time All-Pro on IR last week, after he endured a setback with the injury that has defined his year. Leonard will attempt to complete a successful recovery and return to his top form by the 2023 season.

This news will wrap Leonard’s 2022 season after three games. Leonard played through this back issue in 2021, a season in which he led the league with eight forced fumbles and secured his third first-team All-Pro honor. But he underwent surgery early this summer. That operation was not believed to threaten Leonard’s Week 1 availability, but he did not debut until Week 4. The cornerstone Colts linebacker will have more time to recovery from his latest procedure.

Even after Leonard returned to the field this season, other injury issues plagued him. The former Division I-FCS standout suffered a concussion and a nose injury this season; he ended up undergoing surgery to repair the nose issue last month. His 2022 slate closes with 11 tackles, a pass deflection and an interception. Leonard, 27, never received a full complement of snaps in a game this season; he ended up seeing action on just 74 defensive snaps in 2022.

The Colts have managed to stay near the top of the league defensively despite Leonard’s absence. Gus Bradley‘s unit ranks fourth in total defense this season. The previous four Colts defenses have benefited greatly from Leonard’s presence. Becoming one of the league’s best defensive players, Leonard already has 17 career forced fumbles, 15 career sacks and 12 career picks. The production from 2018-20 secured Leonard a five-year, $98.5MM extension. That deal remains the highwater mark among off-ball linebackers.

It will be interesting to see how Leonard’s supporting cast looks when he is healthy enough to play again. Bobby Okereke may be in the process of pricing himself out of a second Colts contract. The former third-round pick has followed up a 132-tackle 2021 with 86 stops through 10 games this season. Pro Football Focus ranks Okereke and E.J. Speed as top-10 linebackers this season. Okereke and Speed are eligible for free agency in March. The Colts took care of former Zaire Franklin — a former seventh-round pick who has been a full-time player for this Indianapolis edition — this past offseason.

Eight Teams Attempted To Claim Jerry Tillery; DL Headed To Raiders

November 14th, 2022 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jerry Tillery did not work out with the Chargers, but a fourth of the league wanted to greenlight a contract-year audition. Eight teams attempted to claim the fourth-year defensive lineman, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Raiders won out.

In addition to Las Vegas, which now holds the No. 2 spot in the waiver order, the Lions, Panthers, Colts, 49ers, Jets, Giants and Chiefs submitted claims for the former first-round pick. Considering Tillery’s history, the interest is not too surprising. His midseason Bolts exit does make the claim volume notable, however.

Tillery, who follows defensive lineman John Cominsky in drawing eight waiver claims this year, is signed for the remainder of the season. The Chargers passed on Tillery’s fifth-year option in May and moved him out of the picture for good late last week. This number of interested teams does open the door to a potential market in free agency come March.

This marks yet another D-line addition for the Raiders, who restocked their front during the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime’s first offseason. Bilal Nichols, Andrew Billings and rookies Matthew Butler and Neil Farrell comprise Las Vegas’ top interior D-line options. The Raiders had re-signed Jon Gruden-era pickup Johnathan Hankins but ended up trading him to the Cowboys before the deadline.

Chosen 28th overall out of Notre Dame in 2019, Tillery has 29 starts under his belt. He has tallied 10.5 career sacks and 12 tackles for loss in three-plus seasons. Tillery notched 14 quarterback hits during the 2020 and ’21 seasons. The new Bolts regime did not view him as much of a fit, signing Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson in free agency and not picking up his 2023 option. Despite Johnson going down for the season, the Chargers followed through on ending Tillery’s tenure. With the Fighting Irish in 2018, Tillery recorded eight sacks to move onto the first-round radar.

Pro Football Focus rates Tillery just inside the top 50 among interior D-linemen this season; that mark is well north of the reviews the site gave from 2019-21. Tillery, 26, also finished his Chargers career having suffered a back injury while weightlifting. The Raiders and the septet of teams that did not end up landing him, however, were clearly unconcerned by that development. While the Raiders season has skidded off track, Tillery’s Silver and Black audition will be interesting.

Colts To Start Matt Ryan In Week 10

November 13th, 2022 at 3:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today marks the beginning of the Jeff Saturday era in Indianapolis, after a controversial and nearly unprecedented move to replace Frank Reich as head coach. Saturday’s first game in charge will see a familiar face under center.

The Colts announced in advance of today’s contest that Matt Ryan will once again operate as the team’s starter. That decision comes after Saturday had announced earlier in the week that Sam Ehlinger would remain the No. 1, as he had for the past two weeks.

The 2021 sixth-rounder came in to replace an injured Ryan, though Reich insisted that the move was performance-related. The fact that it was Ehlinger, and not veteran Nick Foles who took over raised questions regarding whose decision it ultimately was to bench Ryan. It was later revealed that owner Jim Irsay – who was, of course, the central figure in naming Saturday as Reich’s replacement – drove the switch to Ehlinger for what was supposed to be the remainder of the season.

The Colts lost each of the Texas alum’s starts, including a 26-3 defeat to the Patriots last week. That marked the end of Reich’s four-plus-year tenure, but was not expected to produce a return to action for Ryan. The 37-year-old struggled mightily to begin his Colts tenure, one which the team initially stated they hoped would provide them with multi-year stability at the QB position. The longtime Falcon led the NFL in interceptions, fumbles and sacks allowed at the time he was benched, so it will be interesting to see how much of an improvement is made after time to heal and the installation of assistant QBs coach Park Frazier as offensvie play-caller.

Also of note in this situation is the notion that Ryan had playing-time incentives in his deal, and that it factored into the decision to replace him. Irsay recently rejected that, insisting that the many moves made within the organization in recent weeks have all been pointed at rescuing the team’s 3-5-1 season. Today’s contest against the Raiders will prove insightful with respect to Saturday’s and Ryan’s ability to accomplish that goal.

Colts Activate WR Ashton Dulin, Place LB Shaquille Leonard On IR

November 13th, 2022 at 10:14am CST by Ben Levine

NOVEMBER 13: Leonard may miss the remainder of the season, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The 27-year-old ‘backer is scheduled to meet with renowned neck surgeon Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles on Monday, which will provide some clarity on his playing status.

NOVEMBER 12: The Colts are getting some reinforcement on offense and special teams. The team has activated wide receiver/special teams ace Ashton Dulin from injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team officially placed linebacker Shaquille Leonard on IR. The Colts have also promoted tight end Nikola Kalinic and running back Jordan Wilkins from the practice squad.

Dulin suffered a foot injury back in October, landing him on injured reserve. He returned to practice earlier this week. The 25-year-old made a name for himself in 2021 after earning a second-team All-Pro nod on special teams, with his 17 ST tackles ranking second in the league. Dulin also started to see a larger role on offense in 2021, finishing with 13 catches for 173 yards and two scores. Dulin was continuing to see a role on offense in 2022, with the wideout hauling in 12 catches for 168 yards in five games (one start).

We learned yesterday that Leonard had suffered a setback with his back injury during practice this week. The injury will now knock him out for at least four games. The linebacker has been limited to only three games in 2022 thanks to a concussion, nose surgery, and back injury.

“I had no power in my leg, just trying to fight through that through the whole season and Wednesday practice, something didn’t feel right,” Leonard said on Instagram (via The Athletic’s James Boyd on Twitter). “I had a setback.”

Wilkins, a 2018 fifth-round pick by the Colts, has seen a reduced role in recent years following three consecutive 300-plus-yard seasons to begin his career. The 28-year-old has seen time in one game for Indy this season, getting seven touches for 28 yards. Kalinic was a former second-round pick in the CFL. After spending the preseason with the Colts, he landed on the organization’s practice squad.

Colts To Place LB Shaquille Leonard On IR

November 11th, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shaquille Leonard‘s difficult season will include another extended injury absence. The Colts are placing their top linebacker on injured reserve, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Leonard, who has only been active for three games this season, suffered a setback with his back injury during practice this week. It will lead to at least a four-game absence. It is not a lock Leonard comes back when first eligible, which would be Week 15, as this back problem has lingered for a while.

This has been a rough year for Leonard, who has dealt with three separate injury issues. A concussion and a nose surgery have impacted the All-Pro defender, but the back issue has represented Leonard’s main 2022 hindrance. After playing through back and lower-body trouble last season, Leonard underwent back surgery early in the summer.

The Colts expected Leonard to be ready for Week 1; he was not. Leonard, 27, did not debut this season until Week 4. During that game, he sustained a concussion. The Colts did not place Leonard on IR ahead of the season; his importance to the team dictated a week-to-week strategy.

After drafting Leonard in the 2018 second round, the Colts have seen him become one of the league’s top linebackers. He collected three first-team All-Pro honors in four seasons, totaling an eye-opening 17 forced fumbles during a versatile start to his career. Leonard, who led the league with eight strips in 2021, parlayed his early-career success into becoming the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. He is tied to a five-year, $98.7MM deal. The first year on that contract is not going well.

Indianapolis, which has made plenty of non-Leonard-related headlines this week, has contract-year ‘backer Bobby Okereke helping to pick up the slack. The former third-round pick ranks as a top-five non-rush ‘backer, per Pro Football Focus. The Colts also have Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed in the mix at this position. Overall, however, Leonard’s injury has epitomized one of the most disappointing seasons in the franchise’s Indianapolis history.

The Colts led the NFL with seven Pro Bowlers last season. Each of those players remains on the team. Indy also added veterans Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore to the mix. Less than a year since those accolades rolled in, the Colts have fired coaches — most notably head coach Frank Reich — and will now be under the microscope due to replacing Reich with a head coach (Jeff Saturday) in his first week in the profession. The Colts (3-5-1) still rank fifth in total defense under new DC Gus Bradley, but the unit — already marginalized by a 32nd-ranked offense — will be tested with another Leonard hiatus coming.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/10/22

November 10th, 2022 at 5:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Colts Rumors: Saturday, Ryan, Fields, Rivers

November 9th, 2022 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Colts made headlines on Monday when the team decided to fire head coach Frank Reich, naming former center Jeff Saturday the interim head coach for the rest of the year. The decision to appoint Saturday drew widespread surprise as Saturday has no former NFL coaching experience.

Team owner Jim Irsay defended the decision even claiming that Saturday could remain head coach beyond the 2022-23 NFL season, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder. General manager Chris Ballard claimed that the Colts attempted to bring Saturday into the league coaching circle in 2019 as an offensive line coach and approached him about a position this year, as well. Saturday has reportedly served as a consultant for the team, with Irsay contacting him as recently as Sunday during the team’s loss to the Patriots to inquire about blocking issues, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

Here are a few other rumors concerning the Colts:

  • In response to former Colts head coach Tony Dungy‘s recent accusations that the team benched starting quarterback Matt Ryan in order to stay within the boundaries of an injury guarantee in Ryan’s contract, Irsay attempted to set the record straight, according to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. Irsay insisted that there are no playing time guarantees in Ryan’s contract. “There’s no such thing,” Irsay claimed. “There’s no bonus if Matt plays a certain amount of time.” If such an incentive does exist, it has not been reported.
  • Mishandling the revolving door of quarterbacks in Indianapolis was a factor that led to Reich’s dismissal, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer posits that, instead of going after former quarterback Carson Wentz, the team should have moved up to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, something he reports “was a very real consideration for Ballard and Reich early in the process.” The team instead selected Michigan pass-rusher Kwity Paye, allowing the Bears the opportunity to move up and select Fields. The Colts would later trade Wentz away to Washington after one season.
  • One of the other quarterback situations that didn’t work out in the long run for Indianapolis was the signing of Philip Rivers in 2020. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Ballard signed Rivers expecting the veteran to lead the team’s offense for multiple years. Although Rivers did take the Colts to the playoffs, he retired after one season with the team, leading the Colts to make more moves for Wentz and, eventually, Ryan in the years to follow.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/9/22

November 9th, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/22

November 9th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

San Francisco 49ers

Adams, Dulin, Ellefson, Galeai, Washington and Willis each have until Nov. 30 to be activated from IR. Should they not be activated, they would revert to season-ending IR. The Colts and Vikings are in solid shape regarding activations, having only used one apiece. The Bears, Cardinals, 49ers and Packers have used three such moves apiece. Teams are allotted eight injury activations this season.

The Cowboys dangled Basham in trades before last week’s deadline, but no takers emerged. While the team cut the other D-lineman they were hoping to deal — Trysten Hill, who has since been claimed by the Cardinals — they ended up using one of their injury activations on Basham. A former Colts third-round pick, Basham notched 3.5 sacks during his first Cowboys season last year. He played in one game this season (Week 1) before going down with a quadriceps injury. The Cowboys, who have Tyron Smith and James Washington on their IR-return radar, have used two injury activations this season.

Assistant QBs Coach Parks Frazier To Call Colts’ Plays

November 9th, 2022 at 11:35am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 9: The Colts announced Wednesday that Frazier will be the team’s play-caller for the rest of the season. The young staffer may not have been the first choice, with quarterbacks coach Scott Milanovich believed to have been offered the job as well. But a big opportunity awaits.

NOVEMBER 8: Another twist in the Colts’ coaching plan is expected to ensue. The now-Jeff Saturday-led team is expected to move assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier into the play-calling role, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (on Twitter).

While this may not be the team’s permanent plan, Frazier is set to move into this key position against the Raiders in Week 10. Frazier, 30, has been Indianapolis’ assistant QBs coach since 2021. He was previously at the quality control level. Frazier is not believed to have called plays at any level, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com tweets.

The Colts are bypassing the likes of Scott Milanovich and Scottie Montgomery by making this decision. Milanovich is in place as Indianapolis’ quarterbacks coach, while Montgomery — the team’s running backs coach — drew offensive coordinator interest this offseason. Montgomery, 44, came to Indianapolis after stays as East Carolina’s head coach and Maryland’s offensive coordinator; Milanovich, 49, is a former Toronto Argonauts HC who served as the Jaguars’ play-caller after the team fired Nathaniel Hackett during the 2018 season. Milanovich won a Grey Cup while coaching the Argos in 2012.

[RELATED: Colts To Retain GM Chris Ballard]

Frazier joined the Colts as Frank Reich‘s personal assistant in 2018, moving to Indiana after a stay as a graduate assistant at Arkansas State. This is an unorthodox move by Saturday. Then again, it does not come especially close to the shock level of Jim Irsay‘s decision to name Saturday interim head coach.

The Colts fired their top two offensive staffers this season, canning OC Marcus Brady in October and bailing on Reich midway through his fifth season. Reich had served as the team’s play-caller throughout his tenure.

Although the Colts were a surprise divisional-round entrant in Reich’s first season, Andrew Luck‘s stunning retirement threw the franchise off track. Reich still had the Colts’ offense ranking 16th in scoring during Jacoby Brissett‘s second Luck-relieving season (2019), and the team ranked ninth in points during both Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz‘s one-and-done stays. The team, of course, could not sustain that trajectory this season.

Frazier will take over with the Colts ranked 32nd in scoring (14.7 points per game). Indianapolis’ Irsay-influenced decisions regarding Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger have led the Colts to a nosedive offensively, despite the team having doled out big-ticket extensions to Pro Bowl linemen Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith and Ryan Kelly. The team’s issues staffing the other two O-line spots, along with Jonathan Taylor‘s first notable injury, have contributed to the freefall as well. Ehlinger will remain Indy’s starter, and Frazier will be the one tasked with elevating the 2021 sixth-rounder’s play during what promises to be one of the most interesting coaching experiments in modern NFL history.

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