Report: Colts' Shaquille Leonard Underwent Back Surgery; Out for Season with Injury

Shaquille Leonard's injury-plagued 2022 season has come to an end.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Indianapolis Colts linebacker had season-ending back surgery on Tuesday with the hope this "procedure fixes his issue for good."

Leonard only played in three games this season because of injuries. He missed the first three games with a back issue. The 27-year-old made his 2022 debut in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans but left in the second quarter with a concussion.

After missing three weeks, Leonard returned against the Washington Commanders on Oct. 30. He only played a combined 58 snaps in the next two games combined. The Colts ruled him out of Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders with back and ankle injuries.

Tuesday's procedure marks the second back surgery for Leonard in five months. He had one in June to address two of his spinal discs that were putting pressure on the nerves leading into his left leg.

The procedure didn't work as expected, causing him to keep having issues that limited his availability during the season.

"The past two games, I see myself moving around better, but it’s still not there," Leonard told The Athletic's Jason Boyd last week. "That nerve still isn’t firing into my calf, so it’s just a lot of film study. I think that’s the reason why I can play today is because of how much film that I’ve watched, and I gotta put myself into position to make a play because I know I’m a step behind."

Leonard has been one of the NFL's best linebackers over the past four seasons. He was a second-round pick by the Colts in 2018 and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 163 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

The South Carolina State product was named to the All-Pro team in each of his first four seasons, including three first-team selections. He signed the richest deal for a linebacker in the NFL in August 2021 when the Colts gave him $98.5 million over five years.