Should the Colts be Worried About Darius Leonard’s Ankle?

Darius Leonard is not the type of player to make excuses.

Since he was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, the All-Pro linebacker has always left everything on the field. Whether he is playing at 100% or fighting through an injury, Leonard gives it his all when on the field.

Fighting through injury is something that Leonard became very used to in 2021. Last June, he underwent what was called a minor surgery to clean up an issue in his left ankle. At the time, it was thought that the ankle would be healed and ready to go for the beginning of training camp.

Turns out, Leonard missed the first two weeks of camp and ended up battling a wounded ankle through the entire 2021 season. He pushed through every week to play and be out there, but it was obvious the ankle bothered him all year long. When asked about his ankle throughout the season, Leonard did not need to say much to give us an idea about how it felt.

“It’s attached,” he said.

Watching Leonard on the field last year, it was easy to see that the ankle was bothering him. He is a linebacker whose game is built on speed, flying to the point of attack and wrapping up ball carriers. On a bum ankle, that is very hard to do.

What’s incredible is that even with the injury lingering throughout the year, Leonard had arguably his best season as a pro. He tallied 122 tackles, a league-leading eight forced fumbles, four interceptions, and three fumble recoveries en route to his third First-Team All-Pro selection and his third Pro Bowl. Leonard also played in 16 games and was on the field for 92.8% of the Colts’ defensive snaps, both career-highs.

If he did all of that while nursing his bad ankle, imagine what Leonard could have done last year at 100%.

That is what the Colts are hoping to get in 2022. While the Colts had a solid defense in 2021 led by Leonard, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and cornerback Kenny Moore II, general manager Chris Ballard went to work to add more weapons on that side of the ball. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Stephon Gilmore were signed in free agency to help take the defense to the next level. The Colts are also expecting a jump from second-year defensive end Kwity Paye.

But Leonard is still the heart and soul of this defense. He not only leads by his play on the field but his voice in the locker room and on the sidelines. A healthy #53 adds an extra edge to this defense.

So how is the ankle doing currently? According to Leonard, it is still a work in progress.

“It’s attached, it’s there,” Leonard said. “It feels a whole lot better than what it did, coming from the end of the season. A lot of time to rest, trying to make it stronger. I feel better coming into this season than I did last year, I can say that.”

The good news is, Leonard admits that the ankle is in a better spot now than it was even at the end of the season when it seemed to be at its best. The bad news is, the ankle still isn’t fully healed yet as we approach a year since the surgery took place last June.

Leonard also isn’t participating on the field. As the Colts are in the middle of OTAs, Leonard has been seen on the sidelines during both practice sessions open to the media. This is not to say Leonard is not practicing during closed practices, but it is something to note.

It is only June, however, and as head coach Frank Reich mentioned, the Colts are trying to take a cautious approach to Leonard’s ankle to make sure a setback does not occur.

“We’re trying to be cautious so just taking it day-by-day trying to see what exactly we’re dealing with, how can we get it to respond and make some progress,” Reich said.” Sometimes when you’re going through something and you hit a lull and you can’t get over the hump that you want to get past, you have to stop and pause and say, ‘Why aren’t we getting over this hump?’ That’s a little bit what it is with Darius.

He continued, “We’re just continuing to be cautious with him and want to be smart about getting him ready. In the meantime, he’s locked in doing all his stuff getting mentally – he’s prepared. It’s as if he’s in there. So, we’ll continue to evaluate him as we go.”

So, should the Colts be worried about Leonard’s ankle for the upcoming season? At this point, it is too early to panic about the linebacker’s status.

As mentioned before, it is only June. Training camp is more than a month and a half away, and the Colts do not play a meaningful game of football for over three months. There is still plenty of time for Leonard to rest and rehab his ankle before the season begins.

As far as a second surgery is concerned, the Colts do not believe that is necessary. Reich reiterated the fact that it has not even been discussed as an option yet, and the Colts still believe Leonard can recover fully with rest and rehab.

That said, the ankle still bears monitoring over the coming months. While Leonard had an outstanding season in 2021, there is no question he is at his best when he can fly around and make plays on the ball without a bad ankle slowing him down.

If the Colts’ defense wants to be a top-five unit in 2022, it will take a fully-healthy Leonard leading the charge.

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