Colts LB Shaquille Leonard Ruled OUT on Sunday vs. Texans
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard (back) has been ruled out of the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Houston Texans, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder.
Colts have ruled LB Shaquille Leonard OUT for Sunday?s season opener in Houston. This became pretty obvious when Leonard was not lined up with the starting defense at the start of today?s practice. He?ll need at least another week after offseason back surgery.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 9, 2022
Leonard is still recovering from back surgery he underwent during the offseason, but it shouldn’t be much longer until his return. Since he avoided any stint on the injured reserve, he should be set to go in either Week 2 or Week 3. The Colts could find themselves in a tricky spot this weekend. A road divisional matchup is never an easy win, and it just became a bit more complicated with the loss of their best defender, even if they are favored by more than a touchdown.
In 2021, Leonard made 122 tackles, four interceptions, and forced a league-leading eight fumbles in 16 games. With him unable to go, keep an eye on the production of Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce, as he will have a slightly easier matchup with Leonard now out of the picture.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans Odds
The Indianapolis Colts are 7.5-point favorites against the Houston Texans on Sunday, with the total set at 45.5, per the FanDuel Sportsbook.
