Colts: Shaquille Leonard In, Jonathan Taylor Out to Start Camp

The Indianapolis Colts are beginning a new chapter in the franchise's history during 2023 training camp.

With quarterback Anthony Richardson and head coach Shane Steichen set to be the duo to lead the charge, there will be other key contributors to chime in to make this a success. However, some big names remain limited or physically unable to perform (PUP). This piece will briefly break down those updates along with quotes from general manager Chris Ballard.

Limited

JuJu Brents - CB
Drew Ogletree - TE
Shaquille Leonard - LB

When Ballard took to the podium, he was asked about various players and their readiness for training camp.

For starters, rookie cornerback JuJu Brents had a pre-existing wrist injury that lingered into the offseason. However, when Ballard was asked about Brents’ wrist, he replied, “He’ll be a little limited here early. It shouldn’t be too long.”

This is a simple answer but highly welcoming news for any Colts fan. Brents being out with injury would be a massive blow to the cornerback depth for Indianapolis.

Next up was tight end Drew Ogletree’s status, which has been a more extensive recovery from his ACL tear that sidelined him for the entire 2022 season. When asked if he was cleared to play, Ballard was quoted saying, “Yes. He’s cleared. He’ll be a little limited early, and we’ll take care of him this first week coming off the ACL and first action back but no, he’s good to go.”

Arguably the biggest unknown of the tight end group, a healthy Ogletree could finally get his opportunity to shine. He was one of the best stories of the offseason last year for Indianapolis, we’ll see where he lands in a competitive tight end room.

Finally was linebacker Shaquille Leonard, who wasn’t on the PUP list for this update. This is already a good sign for worried Colts loyalists. Ballard provided a solid explanation for Leonard, saying, “Yeah. First thing is, let me tell you, he has worked extremely hard. He has passed the physical, but that does not mean he will be back in full contact. We’ve got a progression in play here. He will start out at practice and pretty much just go through individual, start building his endurance back up. But slowly but surely, we’ll get there. He has worked extremely hard. There is really no timeline on exactly when he’ll be completely cleared for contact, but it’s good to get him back – just his presence back on the team, back out in drill work is important for us.”

The big piece to take away here is “we’ve got a progression in play here.” This was one of the more unique injuries an NFL player can have, that injury being nerve-related.

Leonard did recently show that he’s on the right path to recovery with a drill video through his Instagram.

Shaquille Leonard putting in work and looks to be moving well. Colts training camp begins one week from tomorrow. https://t.co/RGfQQTeP6i
— Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreNFL) July 18, 2023

Next were the players that are listed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Play) list.

PUP List

Tyquan Lewis - DE
Will Mallory - TE
Jonathan Taylor - RB

“In terms of injuries, what I will tell you is – they are still giving physicals. The two that I will tell you that for sure will start out on PUP will be Tyquan Lewis – he’s just getting back from last year’s injury. Tyquan is a vet and he knows how to play. We’ll take our time. He’s getting close, but it will be a couple weeks. The other one is Will Mallory, who had a foot issue here in the spring. But he’s really close to being back. There could be a couple guys that won’t practice early, but I need to get the physical reports back before I give you complete information on that.”

Lewis is coming off of another brutal, season-ending injury that resulted in a ruptured patellar tendon. For him to be on the PUP list isn’t a surprise and it shows the Colts want him to be ready and confident in his body before suiting up.

Next was the rookie Mallory who was drafted in the fifth round out of Miami. He is still rehabbing the aforementioned foot injury that he came into the league with, however, Ballard is confident he’s close to returning. Mallory could be a player nobody is looking at to make a big impact, but with a Steichen-designed offense might prove to be a more useful weapon than expected.

Lastly is a superstar that Ballard didn’t mention in the presser, but that ended up on the PUP list, nonetheless. That player is running back Jonathan Taylor.

We have placed DE Tyquan Lewis, TE Will Mallory, and RB Jonathan Taylor on the Active/PUP list.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) July 25, 2023

This could simply be due to Taylor’s ankle injury, followed by his surgery in early 2023. It could raise some flags due to the nature of the list, but this also means that Taylor can be activated at anytime off of the PUP list.

Given that he’s the focal point of the offense and it’s a lower extremity-related injury, making sure he is good to go and being patient with his recovery is of the utmost importance.

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