Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard is hoping to put a nagging ankle injury behind him as he enters his fifth season in the NFL, but the team is taking a cautious approach during the spring.
As the media gathered for the first open practice session at OTAs on Wednesday, Leonard was among the non-participants. While cornerback Kenny Moore II conducts his soft holdout in hopes of a new contract, Leonard was kept off the field as a precaution.
Leonard underwent surgery on the ankle that bothered him for the majority of the 2021 season, and head coach Frank Reich said he was a bit surprised not to see his start linebacker on the field for practice.
Darius Leonard sat out today for mostly precautionary reasons with his ankle, Frank Reich says, but admits he was a little surprised.
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) May 25, 2022
There is still a long way to go before the concerns need to start, but this will certainly be a storyline to monitor. Leonard is the heart of the defense even when he’s battling through injuries, but the Colts definitely want him at full strength.
Even with a bum ankle in 2021, Leonard still played 16 games (all starts) while recording 122 tackles (75 solo), four interceptions, four tackles for loss and a league-high eight forced fumbles.
We’ll see if Leonard gets on the field at all this spring but right now, it’s probably too early to be entering panic mode when it comes to the Maniac’s status.
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