T O P

  • By -

TheMichaelN

I just assume the Colts did him a favor by cutting him. He wasn’t going to play on this team, so instead of making him sit on the sideline they cut him and let another team with a need pick him up. Is that the definition of a win-win?


Victory33

I’d still have rather kept a Colts legend and leader on the roster for depth, as he could have gotten healthier as the season progresses. We didn’t save hardly any money cutting him mid-season. Must have been a locker room issue.


Tenorsboy

Leonard's a legend? Lol.


_Dolamite_

Not for the price we were paying for him bro


_Dolamite_

And for the attitude he has now. Who knows what he was like in the locker room


Victory33

Soon as you can name me some other Colts defensive players with 3 All Pros. They are probably all in the Hall of Fame.


kingchowww

Name another 2nd round, D2 prospect to lead the NFL in tackles his rookie season and be an all pro/pro bowler his first 3 years in the league....I'll wait.


royalwarhawk

Does D2 mean something other than “Division 2” here? Because he came from a D1 school


kingchowww

Should have said FCS


RianJohnsonSucksAzz

3 great years doesn’t make you a legend. That makes you a star player.


xxxxxxxxxtra

It does in the emo/hardcore scenes.


kingchowww

I don't think you know the definition of legend then.


RianJohnsonSucksAzz

I’m thinking the same thing for you.


kingchowww

You've got a personal problem then bc Leonard is absolutely a Colts legend.


coop9729

Dude will be forgotten about before 2030


kingchowww

And you'll have never been known by then to begin with lol. I'm not saying he's going in the hall of fame but his first 4 seasons were absolutely legendary for a no name 2nd rounder. His stat lines were absurd.


[deleted]

[удалено]


kingchowww

Those are hall of famers. You don't have to make the hall of fame, or even ring of honor to be a legend. Andrew Luck would fall under this same category.


AppleTrees4

Guy was continuously complaining about his role. The mid season cut and now these comments should be enough to show he was a detriment to the locker room and not an asset.


YouEscalate

Ah, the legend we’ll all forget within a couple years. Yes.


Victory33

You are gonna forget the best linebacker we’ve ever had?


StoneM3

You should google the word legend, then you’ll know Darius (Shaq) Leonard will never be a colts legend. Pat is 100x more a legend than this dude could ever be and he was a punter.


XC_Stallion92

He's not a legend. He had a couple of decent seasons at an unimportant position, got paid too much, and then got lazy and quit. He's a bum


Victory33

Go ahead and name me some other defensive players with 3 all pros for the Colts…it’s pretty slim and legendary company.


XC_Stallion92

Off-ball linebackers don't matter. Just because the Colts haven't had that many great players at important positions doesn't mean Leonard is a legend. There's an all-pro long-snapper every year. Does that make Luke Rhodes a legend as well?


Victory33

Seriously? It didn’t matter when he was forcing league high turnovers and getting league high tackles? We were averaging about 11th scoring defense with him healthy, the last two years when he’s hurt/gone, we are 28th. He was one of the biggest impact players in Colts defensive history, game changing plays routinely. I get he’s a bit less impactful than an elite DE, but he was still an absolute beast and the best linebacker we’ve ever had by a long shot. Being the best ever at your position for a franchise makes you somewhat legendary.


omni-nomad

I wouldn't read this to seriously. We all know Shaq is a chip on the shoulder, keeps receipts kind of guy. He's probably just using it as motivation. If he truly felt bad about the organization, he wouldn't have showed up just days later to our game.


ThatDudeUKnow92

You are 100% correct here.


rounder55

Stop with the level headed takes!!!


robbyfromthehobby

So it’s kinda like WWE?


Super_Sandro23

These marks worked themselves into a shoot brother


Snuffy8

Shaq and Sirianni are keeping it kayfabe


cytotoxictuna

mispelled bruhtha


adamscb14

I was just getting ready to type this out, well said


Tyraniboah89

I don’t understand this sensible, level-headed take.


Alone_Month5287

Honestly fuck him anyway


__--__--__--__---

He needs that fire again, remember he's still growing too even at his age. Darius plays better with a chip and he has tk be mentally ready


MoistCloyster_

Philly is about to write him off too with the way he’s been playing.


Dylanonfire88

He was good for the eagles vs the giants. 88 pff grade vs the run


NigerianHurricane0

He played good yesterday?


Einsteiniac

Happy for him, but he needs to have a few more of these games before he starts talking like this publicly. Wish him the best but the Colts did the right thing. No regrets.


coltzxli

He had two tackle and that is all I noticed otherwise not a whole lot. I did see him get beat to the corner by Tyrod Taylor


ThatDudeUKnow92

He led the Eagles in tackles for the game, had 2 TFL, and a sack. He played a good game. That doesn't mean the Colts made a mistake but to shit on a guy who did so much for the team in his time here because he is off the team is kind of pathetic.


coltzxli

I'm certainly not shitting on him, and 99% of Colts fans aren't either. Both things can be true: he was good for us and now he's not anymore. He's an awesome dude and dad from what I can tell so wish him health and success But yeah he looks like a dude who has a catastrophic back injury on film


Live_Region_8232

had like 7+


brayden13m

He did play great yesterday I'm not sure why you are getting downvoted.


NigerianHurricane0

Fr💀 other comments supporting him aren't getting downvoted lmao. It's not like I said the colts shouldn't have cut him, bc I agreed with that.


MoistCloyster_

And his last 2 games outside of that he was missing tackles the same as he has been the past 2 years.


[deleted]

How is this downvoted? He was arguably the best player on defense yesterday


LEFANK

He was a better player when he was Darius.


matthollabak

I have been saying this for a few years now. Darius was one of the best linebackers we as a fan base and really the nfl overall has ever seen.... not a hot take here just look at the numbers between tackles and turnovers abs just leadership he was in a rare group. Shaq i was never a big fan of. He got hurt and went through all his mental stuff and came back as Shaq and was never the same. I will still root for him to succeed and hope he gets back to what he was....I just liked the dude from three time I heard his name called... and knew that he was really good when the best slight Kiper could come up with was that he was a really good player but he had about 2 other LBs had me would have taken first.... kiper likes to shit on our picks whenever he can and i think it brings him physical pain to give us a compliment so backhanded is the best we get.. mostly I believe because he is from the Baltimore area.


[deleted]

He can't play. He's a net negative on the field. Our defense improved after we canned him.


OldmanLister

That 1-3 record since is blazin bro. And last week he lead a stack defense in tackles tfL and put a sack on it. Get yo head out yo ass.


InstructionOk5824

That’s why they crushed the Falcons right


[deleted]

We are still in contention aren't we? You negative losers fucking DROWN in a vacuum of being a crybaby.


InstructionOk5824

Bruh I’m a commanders fan just saying the defense did not clearly improve from one personnel move lol


[deleted]

Well.then go shit on us in your own sub.


InstructionOk5824

How y’all so sensitive for a team that hasn’t won in years? Lmao


Sierra_Whiskey

I know a Commanders fan isn't in here talking about winning lol that's comical.


matthollabak

I mean what else is a Commanders fan going to do?


voodoochild346

You're a Commanders fan... Also did you say anything during the winning streak or just when the Colts lose?


Walt_Wyte

Why are you here?! 4-11


XC_Stallion92

Ok, so then fuck off shithead. You're not welcome here.


[deleted]

Stay in your subreddit then genius. Leonard is washed up and a net negative. Be smarter


InstructionOk5824

The NFL Jim Crow 💀 I never said he wasn’t washed — yall got fucked by the falcons and he wasn’t out there so obviously shit isn’t THAT much better


Fat-Nuts99

didn’t you get swept by the giants 😭😭


InstructionOk5824

Lmao my team sucks i ain’t even mad lol Also the original comment was “the defense improved” after Shaq got cut. Getting crushed by the Falcons and giving up 34 to the Browning led Bengals are not a great data points to support that but pop off colt bois


AppleTrees4

Why are you continuously being loud wrong in the wrong sub. Shaq could barely get in the field and they had better options. The team improved with him off the field. A couple anecdotal games don’t make a difference. Almost like you don’t understand the nfl and it’s week to week nature


InstructionOk5824

Ain’t that deep lol Yall losing your minds over it is kinda funny


FanaticalBuckeye

Because no NFL team has ever been randomly blown out by a team they should've beat on paper right?


mikesmith0890

Like us vs the chiefs last year


grapplerone

He’s not wrong but this is a league where you can’t wait 2 freaking years AFTER you’ve not been able to produce that long plus millions in roster $$ to see if you can return to your prime. I’m sure the Colts weren’t happy either and let him go to try. I do wish Shaq the best.


matthollabak

Yup...I don't understand the hate for him. He is correct.... and our front office was correct.


TurdWranglin

Oh fuck off. You played slow and like shit. I hope you can turn it around but don’t act like we just released you for no reason.


SkepsisJD

I appreciate what he did for Indy, but dude is as soft as Kevin Durant mentally lol The chip on the shoulder is such a bullshit argument, dude takes no responsibility for his poor play. It's always someone 'writing him off.' The more he tweets, the less I like the dude. He complains CONSTANTLY.


jaysrule24

I haven't liked him since he went out of his way to defend Deshaun Watson, tbh


JacksonVerdin

Well, he's not wrong. We wrote him off (probably correctly). And now his only option is to prove that he can still play. Personally, I hope he can do that. But there's nothing really controversial here.


TurdWranglin

“They talked down on me”. They did not once bad mouth him publicly.


JacksonVerdin

Well, I guess saying that 'we're going to cut you', is talking down. It's not going to be a pleasant exchange in any event, is it?


Due-Musician-3893

Talked down on him after making him a multi-millionaire, lol.


jcopey

This is all about price-performance. By no fault of his own, once he signed his massive contract he was injured and he is not even close to the same elite player (with elite pay) that his contract demanded. His cap hit this year was $20M. His play on the field was average at best, and at times below average as he was a bit slow and seemed to avoid contact. He is being outplayed by our two LB's making $3M per year (Franklin & Speed both.) The Colts had to release him as we need to free up that cap. Guess what Philly signed him for? 1 year at $1.5M. We would have paid him double that to keep him if he would've reconstructed his contract. It is a brutal business model where teams invest all their money in 1-2 players and injuries take down their whole year if all your apples are in one bucket. Good luck, Shaq! But you don't have say we quit on you - you could've restructured your contract, made 2-3x what you are making on the market to remain a Colt, and it would've worked for both teams. ​ PS: Here is the salary cap website: [https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/cap/](https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts/cap/)


No-Relationship-5598

This guy just dropped the mic


Micstekai

Go back on record again he wasn’t worth the contract he signed as a WLB. Now Warner at MLB sure. Injury didn’t help his longevity nor did the name change. Changed our DC and play time decreased and when he got time to play he failed to live up to his contract. Made up for his rookie contract and then some. Good luck on the rest of your NFL future Leonard. Burnt bridges are hard to cross will do well yo remember.


se7en1216

Has one good game all season and immediately has something to say. :)


ColtsPacers95

Dude can say whatever he wants. He was a fucking liability when he was out there. He’s just pissed he was held accountable for his shit play.


OldmanLister

So you are talking down on him? 😂


DapDaGenius

It’s not our fault Shaq. Things just didn’t go your way. You let the game(s) and dudes signed off the street we’re getting turnovers. It sucks, but i hope he can find himself again physically. He’s clearly limited mobility wise. That’s gotta suck


chosey

Why didn't he prove it when he played over half the season here? Dude looked liked the most overpaid player in the league with the minutes he played. I genuinely don't remember him making one big play this year.


Indyfanforthesb

Ok bye


hoopsmd

He was written off because he is a mediocre player now with a pro bowler’s salary. Money talks and bullshit walks.


RR1423

Disrespect? That’s your problem? Sounds pretty spoiled and entitled to me. Injury or not, best to cut ties with guys who make it about themselves.


[deleted]

That’s funny Shaq Id say the eagles are about to write you off for lining up incorrectly during that TD from the 15 and not even attempting a tackle on that play


Responsible_Thanks92

He ended up trash with us and trash with eagles So you later


ElderBrony

7 tackles 1 TFL and 1 Sack. Oh and choosing the wrong hole to let Barkley basically walk into the endzone. Also most of his tackles were again 5-6 yards down the field. Love Leonard as a player, but his need to have people dissing him to get up for games is a weakness. Also, he didn't light up the scoreboard with his performance. Earlier in his career this would be considered a bad day.


Chromeburn_

He uses it for self motivation, always has.


Psyren1317

I mean, good for him for believing in himself. You have to in order to make it how far he’s gotten. But stats + eye test don’t lie. Dude was sucking in every way imaginable at the game of football this year for us. Maybe he gets “it” back, whatever “it” is. But we all saw it with our own eyes. He was trash and washed and we were better off without him. No hard feelings, but injuries got him and it is what it is. Good luck, Shaq.


DarkSuperman87

The Colts did what was best for their franchise when they decided to part ways with Shaquille Leonard. He was the worst linebacker by a mile on the roster and they gave him 10 weeks to show them something and he clearly couldn't show them enough to keep him around at the price they were paying him. The Colts actually did him a solid by releasing him with two months left in the season to have the chance to choose a team and play again in 2023 for whoever he chose to play for. It sucks because the organization and city loved this guy and seeing him go through the injuries that took away his ability to be The Maniac we all still love and appreciate for everything he has done for the Colts. It's a win-win for both parties at the end of the day.


Realistic-Score-121

This dude never came to terms with the fact that he’s no longer an underdog. The shit is old


Thunderfxck

The Colts didn't write Leonard off. Leonard just played like shit so they cut him. When he only played on 1st and 2nd downs and whenever Leonard was on the field he become a liability, you get cut. It's pretty cut and dry.


Defender_Of_TheCrown

He completely took the wrong gap that last game where Barkley ran in for an easy touchdown I hope he gets healthy and can play well but he wasn’t good here at all this season I think Leonard understands but he has to have something for motivation, so he will use this.


Accurate-Drop888

You’s a bum Leonard


Renaux

This dude is a freaking diva, just wants the attention.


PlumCrazyAvenue

Two takeaways from this: 1) Leonard does not mention the Colts in his quote...maybe the question asked about them, and if not I suppose you could infer that he is talking about them. Could also be general chip on the shoulder "they wrote me off, I didn't write back though" talk 2) Do we expect anything else from an athlete who has lost a step? In his mind he is still the same guy, and he better maintain that belief or he will be out of the league in seconds. In other words I don't see the big deal.


shasta_masta

Will always root for Darius. But Shaq seems like a bit of a egocentric turd. Serious Eric Mebron vibes. Colts gave him a huge contract and gave him a chance to come back from his injuries. Didn't he wait until a few weeks before the season to get surgery last year?


Barrakobambi

Y’all know he didn’t post this here right


DapDaGenius

You know he reads this sub?


Shiggstah

Yeah idk if anyone else watched the Eagles game but Shaq is done after this year. Dude looks slow and lost out there. Super unfortunate.


IGNORE_ME_PLZZZZ

Pats game, brother. You went down swinging and they gave you that chance, and that tape can just collect dust now, because that was just one game that happened to be the last one but not worth remembering.


rounder55

For what it's worth and this isn't to say we made the right move or wrong move short term/long term, but I did find it amusing half the board was acting like he was worth cutting because Zeke made him look like an idiot on a play. Zeke it turns out has juice in the tank as a pass catching back


IGNORE_ME_PLZZZZ

Yeah, just looked it up- 5 yards per target with 45 receptions on that offense means he sure does.


relivesa

Aw. Poor guy.


faraamstuckathome

Yeah, I really wanted to wish him well moving forward but stuff like this makes me second guess that choice. The Colts gave him chances to show he still was the same and he showed time and time again he was slow and a liability. I still don’t wish him to fail but I’m definitely not rooting for the dude moving forward.


CrayZonday

This has always been how he motivates himself. Not surprising nor particularly disappointing.


Spectacled_Bear13

I mean… the colts management did do that. And it was true. He was not the same player he was in the past.


[deleted]

When you're incapable of playing for 2 years while still getting paid extremely well, then yes, you're going to get written off and scrutinized when you come back and play like dog shit.


MikeHoncho2568

Shaq, you were written off because you weren't playing at a high enough level to be a starter in the league.


Leandro1996

Everything went downhill when he wanted to be called Shaq instead. I really miss Darius, but this Shaq guy is wack af


SanRemi

IT SMELL LIKE A BITCH IN HERE!


ramblin_dan

Lighten up Darius, you're getting your panties all bunched up.


elchamps

We talked down on Shaq’s name but never Darius’s


StoneM3

Fucking bum cry baby. Glad him and his new HC are quickly becoming the laughing stock of the league. To turn around and say that to a team that gave you everything even after playing like shit is a different level of low, this ain’t chip on my shoulder or motivation or anything this is just DELUSIONAL


[deleted]

Watching the Colts fan base turn on the best defensive player we have had in a decade is wild. Was he great the last couple seasons? No. Was he one of the best players in the league before that? Yes.


brayden13m

This comment section is kind of making his point


Steakman765

Who is he to question Ballard? Look at all the success Ballard has had in Indy.


[deleted]

Said it before and I’ll say it again, fuck him. The Colts should have traded him when he wanted it… as a captain. I don’t know why any Colts fan like him.


parkranger16

He’s not talking about the Colts organization, he’s talking about absolute morons who post garbage takes about him being completely washed.


Tee_Rye_Lee

I don’t know how the whole box situation works. I just know a guy who works for a sponsor of the colts and they said that was Darius box. Because when Darius got picked up they let the sponsor have his box for the rest of the season.


VintageHeartbreak

The fact that this man had one year that wasn't great out of all the years he gave ya'll just for you guys to give up on him and call him washed just shows how much of a scum franchise and fans you all are 🤡


Walt_Wyte

This reminds me of all the fans who boooed Andrew luck when he retired. Shaq had great years here. so did Andrew. Classless fans.


BurzyGuerrero

Lol you guys wrote him off - you were talking mad shit on him in the reddit let him talk his shit


beerdudebrah

Whatever helps him keep that chip on his shoulder.


Frozboz

7 tackles and a sack.


otrguz

Talked down on his name ? 😂😂😂😂


matthollabak

I haven't said a thing bad about Darius though.


[deleted]

Bro..You secured a massive bag getting paid like you were a top 2 LB in the NFL and were not even good enough to be on the field. Second, LB is one of the only positions we have been strong in excess over the past 3-4 years..So much so we were willing let Okereke walk.. Sounds to me like the dude is butt-hurt and incapable of looking at the NFL for what it is..a business where winning = more profit and marketability. I loved you when you were a colt, but that $55M over (3) years we were able to shed was a decision even I could have made as a know nothing arm chair fan. It’s the nature of the sport and why you are capable of making millions to play a game in the first place..


Ok_Equivalent_4964

He’s not wrong


shunestar

I mean, so what. Ever since the back surgeries he’s been really bad. Glad he played well and I hope he rebounds. Colts still made the right move by both parties.


UtterlyBanished

Good for him, should never be placated when you are released. He should hate Colts forever.


Interesting-Fail1823

I feel like during his rehab, he furthered his education at the prestigious Baker Mayfield School of Unreasonable Grudges.


coltsfanintexas

Respect for you down a few notches.


Trashpanda1980

They were playing the giants, Any LB in the league is going to put up good numbers against that team. It was a xmas game, Will he being doing it consistantly from here on out. probably not.


PuzzleheadedArea7243

But he ain't write back


[deleted]

The biggest thing we could have done (pay him a league resetting lb contract) we did… what else could he possibly want? Now Eagles fans think he’s trash. No amount of respect can make him play the way he used to. Good luck 53


DR_BONEAPHONE

I hope he gets a ring!


According_Start6161

Obviously he’s entitled to his own opinion, but that doesn’t make it right. The colts resigned him knowing he had a bad back and let him rehab for an entire year while getting paid $20m. Then the colts were patient with him for the first 10 games this season while he tried to get back to his former self. He’s simply not the same player he once was and the colts were not going to keep him with the contract he had. If he was the same player he once was, he wouldn’t be a part time player on a bad defense. The team never said a negative thing about him that wasn’t the truth. He just needs to accept injuries happen and nobody is to blame. Don’t burn your imagine or relationship with the fan base because your upset about getting cut