National Football League

Shaquille Leonard will visit Cowboys this week; Eagles, Vikings reportedly have interest

Updated Nov. 26, 2023 6:49 p.m. ET

The Indianapolis Colts cut ties with three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard earlier in the week; it appears he won't struggle to find a new home.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed Sunday that the team has interest in bringing Leonard in to fortify its defense, and Leonard will reportedly visit the team at an unspecified date. Though the Cowboys have one of the best defenses in the NFL, they are thin at linebacker after a season-ending injury to Leighton Vander Esch in Week 5.

Leonard, meanwhile, watched the Colts' win over the Buccaneers on Sunday from a suite at Lucas Oil Stadium. The crowd of Colts fans gave him a standing ovation after a tribute video during the game.

The Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings are among the contending NFL teams that are "collecting information" on Leonard, though the linebacker may not be in a rush to sign with a new team, The Athletic reported Thursday. Furthermore, Dallas defensive coaches have lobbied its front office to sign Leonard, while the Denver Broncos — who have won four consecutive games — are also interested in signing him, ESPN reported Thursday.

The Cowboys boast the best defense among the teams to have reported interest in signing Leonard, as they entered their Thanksgiving matchup against the Washington Commanders having surrendered just 266.3 total yards (second in NFL) and 17.5 points (fifth) per game.

Leonard, 28, appeared in nine games for the Colts this season before being released, totaling 65 combined tackles. Last season, he was limited to just three games due to a back injury. Prior to the injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Leonard racked up three Pro Bowl Game nods and was the 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

In his rookie season, Leonard logged an NFL-high 163 combined tackles and seven sacks. He posted 120-plus combined tackles in each of his first four NFL seasons and led the sport with eight forced fumbles in 2021.

Leonard was previously in the second season of a five-year, $98.5 million deal. Roughly $52.5 million of that contract was guaranteed.

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