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As Josh Alper noted for Pro Football Talk last month, Indianapolis Colts All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard remarked that he hoped he could avoid going back under the knife regarding his surgically-repaired ankle.
It appears the lingering ankle issue that bothered him throughout and beyond the 2021 season masked a different problem.
Per Mike Wells of ESPN and Kevin Patra of NFL.com, Colts head coach Frank Reich confirmed that Leonard underwent back surgery on Tuesday and is on track to miss the start of training camp. Leonard addressed the news via Twitter:
“He’s had a back issue that has been a progressive thing that started early in the offseason, but has been something that has progressed,” Reich explained about Leonard’s setback. “We recently made the evaluation that he’s going to have a procedure on his back [Tuesday]. Miss some training camp time, but if all goes according to plan, he should be ready for the start of the regular season.”
Leonard didn’t participate in on-field work this spring because of his ankle, and Reich admitted the fact the 26-year-old wasn’t practicing prevented the Colts from understanding the severity of his back injury.
“I’m not the back expert either,” Reich added during his comments. “So at some point, we’ll likely come out with a clear statement. Very optimistic about the procedure.”
According to Pro-Football-Reference, Leonard tallied a league-leading eight forced fumbles and also recorded 122 total tackles across 16 games during the 2021 regular season.
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