Colts' Leonard makes season debut, then suffers concussion

Updated Oct. 2, 2022 3:08 p.m. ET

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Shaquille Leonard’s season debut ended quickly Sunday.

The three-time All-Pro linebacker made his first appearance since undergoing back surgery in June then left in the second quarter after colliding with one of his Indianapolis Colts teammates on a Tennessee touchdown.

Leonard stayed on the ground for several minutes before trainers helped him walk from the field to the locker room where he was eventually diagnosed with a concussion. He finished the game with two tackles.

Leonard missed all of the Colts offseason activities with an ankle injury that bothered him since his rookie season. He had back surgery to alleviate the ankle pain.

The surgery forced Leonard to miss all of training camp, the entire preseason and Indy’s first three regular-season games even though he was a full participant at practice most of September.

He started the day with 538 tackles, the third most in the NFL since 2018, and 17 forced fumbles since 2018, second behind only Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt (21).

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