Andy Dalton Could Remain Saints’ QB1
8:40pm: Dealing with a severely depleted receiving corps, Dalton put up lesser numbers than his first two starts (17-of-32 passing, 162 yards, one touchdown) in a 30-26 loss. The Saints’ effectiveness in the running game had them either leading or tied until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, though, which could convince the coaching staff to stick with Dalton.
When asked about his plans at QB for Thursday’s game, Allen did not name a starter. He explained that Winston has still not fully recovered, adding, via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, “Let’s get in the study on that and we’ll see where he’s at and then we’ll go from there.”
11:08am: Saints quarterback Andy Dalton has started each of the past two games for New Orleans in place of Jameis Winston, who continues to deal with back and ankle injuries. Winston will be active and in uniform for the team’s Week 6 matchup with the Bengals today, but only because the club needed roster space for positions other than backup QB.
That suggests that Winston is at least healthy enough to play on an emergency basis, which would seem to indicate that he will be back under center sooner rather than later. However, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that, regardless of Winston’s injury status, Dalton could become the Saints’ full-time starter if he continues to acquit himself well (video link).
Rapoport says Dalton has been a “calming influence” on the team’s offense. New Orleans is 1-1 in his two starts, including a narrow 28-25 loss to the Vikings in Week 4 and a 39-32 victory over the Seahawks in Week 5. In those games, Dalton — who served as Cincinnati’s starting quarterback for nine years before joining the Cowboys, Bears, and Saints as a presumptive backup/bridge starter in the last three offseasons — has completed 69.2% of his passes, throwing for 423 yards and two TDs against once interception, good for a QB rating of 98.5
Winston, meanwhile, struggled to a 79.5 QB rating in his three games at the helm this year, leading the Saints to a 1-2 mark in those contests. On the other hand, the two losses came after he suffered multiple fractures in his spine, which certainly had a significant impact on his performance.
The Saints re-signed Winston this offseason on a two-year, $28MM deal ($15.2MM guaranteed), and added Dalton on a one-year, $3MM accord. Winston spent the offseason rehabbing the ACL tear that ended his 2021 campaign prematurely, but the contracts that the two players received from New Orleans made it clear that Winston was viewed as the undisputed starter. Indeed, even after Winston’s injury and his struggles in a Week 3 defeat at the hands of the Panthers, head coach Dennis Allen said he was not considering a permanent QB switch.
Dalton’s efforts may have changed his HC’s mind, and if he plays well against his former club on Sunday, he could buy himself at least one more start, especially since the Saints have a short week in advance of their Thursday night bout against the Cardinals in Week 7.
Seahawks View Geno Smith As Long-Term QB?
The Seahawks traded longtime QB and franchise icon Russell Wilson to the Broncos this offseason, and part of the Wilson return was fellow signal-caller Drew Lock. Seattle was said to think highly of Lock, who appeared to have a real chance to open the season as the team’s QB1. Geno Smith, who served as Wilson’s backup over the past three seasons and who played well in Wilson’s absence in 2021, was re-signed to a modest deal in April.
Smith and Lock battled for the starting job throughout the spring and summer, and Smith emerged as the winner of that competition (he also survived the possibility of additional acquisitions like Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo). And although the ‘Hawks are sporting a 2-3 record through the first five games of the 2022 campaign, Smith is more than holding up his end of the bargain. He leads the league in completion percentage (75.2%) and QB rating (113.2), and he has thrown nine TDs against just two interceptions. He has also rushed 20 times for 77 yards and a score.
Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Seahawks are beginning to see Smith as a long-term option (video link). That is not just because of the above-referenced surface-level stats, but also because of how Smith is managing the offense, including recent audibles from pass plays to run plays that have resulted in long touchdowns. Though he had not been a full-time starter since 2014, his experience in the league and his poise have been evident, and Garafolo says the club is “absolutely thrilled” with what it has seen thus far.
Of course, there are 12 more regular season games and plenty of time for the thrill to go away. Plus, even if Smith continues to perform at his current level, he is now 32 years old, and the 2023 crop of collegiate passers should be much more appealing than the 2022 class. So if Seattle is in position to take a top QB with one of its two first-round picks — or trade up to select such a player — it would be hard to turn down that opportunity based on one productive season from a player on the wrong side of 30.
Smith, though, should not be particularly expensive to re-sign, at least relative to other QBs. He will earn $3.5MM this year (with a chance to hit $7MM via incentives), and a short-term, $15MM-$20MM/year deal would seem to be a fair price for him even if he finishes the season as strong as he has started it. That type of contract would not preclude the team from drafting a signal-caller to groom behind Smith while letting the West Virginia product try to continue his belated coming-out party.
Like Smith, Lock is out of contract at season’s end, and as of right now, his last game tape features him throwing three picks in this year’s preseason finale. Barring injury or a collapse from Smith, Lock could be looking for backup gigs as a free agent in 2023.
AFC West Rumors: Payton, Munchak, Nagy
With a young, top-flight QB in Justin Herbert and a talented roster surrounding him, the Chargers would appeal to almost any head coaching candidate. The team has once again dealt with major injury problems this year, but the decision-making of second-year HC Brandon Staley and the defense’s poor performance under Staley, a former defensive coach and coordinator, has led some to question his job security.
While it would be highly surprising to see Staley dismissed in-season — after all, as of the time of this writing, the club is 3-2 — Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post suggests that the Bolts could be willing to move on if the 2022 season does not “provide an acceptable outcome” (for a team like Los Angeles, an acceptable outcome presumably means at least a postseason berth). If Staley is indeed ousted, one longtime NFL personnel exec who has worked with former Saints head coach Sean Payton says the Chargers job is the one that Payton really wants.
Payton, 58, surprisingly stepped away from the Saints in January after having served as New Orleans’ head coach since 2006. He has left the door open for a return to the sidelines, and in July, it was reported that the Chargers would be one of his preferred teams, along with the Dolphins and Cowboys. Payton is said to be looking for a club that plays its home games in a warm weather city and that boasts a strong QB situation and roster, and the Chargers check all of those boxes. Plus, since the team is in the AFC, the Saints — who still hold Payton’s rights — may be willing to trade their Super Bowl-winning coach to LA.
However, Payton is also seeking control over personnel decisions, and Chargers GM Tom Telesco has been with the club since 2013. It would be interesting to see if team ownership would ask Telesco to cede at least some of his authority if a Payton acquisition becomes a possibility, and if Telesco would be willing to do so.
Now for more from the AFC West:
- The surprising performance of rookie Jamaree Salyer means that the Chargers have a viable solution at LT in the absence of Rashawn Slater, as Daniel Popper of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Originally drafted as a guard, Salyer was appointed as Herbert’s blindside protector in Week 4 after Slater was placed on IR, and he played quite well in the team’s victory over the Texans. Then, in a Week 5 win over the Browns, Salyer held his own against Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, so Los Angeles should not have to make a move for a left tackle while it waits for Slater to return (which could happen at the end of the season).
- Speaking of left tackles, Broncos LT Garett Bolles went under the knife on Wednesday to repair his broken right fibula, per Mike Klis of 9News.com. Bolles suffered the injury during Denver’s Week 5 loss to the Colts, and he will miss the remainder of the season. As Klis notes, Bolles’ $2MM injury guarantee for 2023 will be triggered, but given that the 2017 first-rounder is due to earn $14MM in salary in 2023 — a modest sum for a top left tackle — that presumably won’t matter too much.
- Broncos rookie HC Nathaniel Hackett is under plenty of heat at the moment, and there are rumors that he may not even make it through his first season as a head coach. In light of his early difficulties, pundits are revisiting Hackett’s construction of his coaching staff, which included the decision to part ways with Denver’s former O-line coach, Mike Munchak, and replace him with Butch Barry (who had never worked as a lead OL coach in the NFL). Hackett made the move for schematic reasons, but as Peter King wrote in his weekly FMIA column on Monday, Munchak wanted to stay in Denver, and in addition to his reputation as one of the game’s best OL coaches, he is also a respected leader who has HC experience of his own. In hindsight, retaining a veteran influence like Munchak might have been the better decision.
- The Bears relieved Matt Nagy of his head coaching duties at the end of the 2021 season, and he subsequently rejoined the Chiefs as quarterbacks coach/senior offensive assistant. Nagy put himself on the HC radar as the QBs coach and offensive coordinator for Kansas City from 2013-17, and he also worked under Chiefs head coach Andy Reid when both men where with the Eagles. It’s clear that Reid thinks highly of Nagy’s abilities, and a league source tells Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network that Nagy could eventually succeed his mentor as head coach of the Chiefs. Reid, 64, is under contract through 2025, and though he has said he is open to coaching into his 70s, it is feasible that he could end his Hall of Fame career before then. By the end of Reid’s current contract, Nagy will have had time to distance himself from the disappointing end to his Chicago tenure, and he may even find himself back as Kansas City’s OC if Eric Bieniemy ever lands his own head coaching post.
- Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. is set to serve the final game of his four-game suspension on Sunday, and as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes, the league initially pushed for the maximum six-game ban. The union advocated a two-game suspension, and the two sides met in the middle at four games before the matter reached the jointly-appointed disciplinary officer, Judge Sue L. Robinson. Gay missed time due to injury in 2021 but finished the season as a top-25 ‘backer in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, and his return should provide a boost to KC’s defense.
Vikings C Garrett Bradbury Wants To Remain With Team
The Vikings declined center Garrett Bradbury‘s fifth-year option in May, thereby making 2022 a platform year for the NC State product. Bradbury’s play through the first five games of the current campaign has considerably raised his free agent stock, though he wants to remain in Minnesota for the long haul, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes.
“Absolutely,” Bradbury said when asked if he hopes to stay with the Vikings. “I love this team, I love the offensive line here, I love the coaches. We’ll let that work itself out in the spring because I can’t do anything about it this week.”
Bradbury expressed those same sentiments back in June, but at the time, it seemed unlikely that the team would want to continue what had been a disappointing relationship. After all, Bradbury struggled mightily with his pass-blocking over his first three years in the league, which is why the Vikings decided against exercising the option that would have kept him under club control through the 2023 season. Even in August, Bradbury’s hold on his starting job was reportedly less than secure.
However, Bradbury enters the team’s Week 6 contest as the ninth-best center in the league in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, which has assigned him a strong 72.0 pass-blocking grade and has charged him with one sack. Part of the improvement stems from the 10 pounds of muscle that Bradbury added over the offseason, which he says has helped him in his battles with opposing nose tackles. The fact that he is surrounded by other quality O-linemen also helps.
When asked if he sees Bradbury as a long-term anchor in the middle of the line, head coach Kevin O’Connell was somewhat noncommittal, saying, “I’m a big fan of Garrett, how he’s playing, how he projects in our offense. I know [quarterback] Kirk [Cousins] feels great having him in there as well as those other four linemen. So I love where Garrett’s at right now. He’s just got to keep playing at the level that he’s playing at, which has been pretty darn good.”
Of course, if Bradbury maintains his current level of performance throughout the season, the club would almost certainly want him back. The league’s top pivots are earning in the $10MM-$14MM range in terms of AAV, and if Minnesota had exercised the fifth-year option, Bradbury would have been owed a fully-guaranteed $13.2MM in 2023. So even if the Vikings ultimately need to pay Bradbury at a top-of-the-market rate or something close to it, they will still be in better shape than they would have been otherwise, as they will at least be able to flatten out his 2023 cap hit with a multi-year pact.
For now, the club is 4-1 and at the top of the NFC North, and its O-line play is a big reason for the early success.
49ers DC DeMeco Ryans To Be Top HC Candidate In 2023
49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is expected to be one of the top head coaching candidates in the 2023 hiring cycle, as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports writes. Citing multiple league sources, Jones says it would be a surprise if Ryans does not land an HC post next year.
Ryans, 38, has earned plenty of recognition for his work with the Niners’ defense. After his playing career ended in 2015, the Alabama product joined San Francisco as a defensive quality control coach in 2017, served as inside linebackers coach from 2018-20, and succeeded Robert Saleh as DC when Saleh left to become head coach of the Jets in 2021.
In his first year in his current role, Ryans’ unit ranked third in the league in total defense — a performance that helped San Francisco reach the NFC title game — and through the first five contests of the current campaign, the 49ers are tops in the NFL in that category. The team is presently yielding a meager 12.2 PPG and has not surrendered more than 19 points in any game this season.
Said one personnel executive, “DeMeco sees it differently. There’s something different when a middle linebacker is calling the defense. He has to know what’s going on in front of him and behind him. The structure of the scheme was already in place, but he took some of the nuance out of it so guys could just line up and play.”
Indeed, Ryans was a successful middle linebacker during his playing days, serving as a full-time starter for the Texans from 2006-11 and the Eagles from 2012-15. He posted over 100 tackles in six different seasons, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2006 and Pro Bowl acclaim in 2007 and 2009. Per Jones, Ryans’ relationship with 49ers star ILB Fred Warner and his role in Warner’s development have been key to his success as DC.
Head coaching interviews will not be new territory for Ryans, who garnered notable attention in the 2022 cycle. He interviewed for the Vikings’ head coaching post and had a chance for a second summit with Minnesota brass but ultimately declined the opportunity, citing his desire to “further his development in San Francisco.” He was also mentioned as a candidate for the Raiders’ HC gig that ultimately went to Josh McDaniels.
Assuming Ryans does get an HC opportunity in 2023, Vic Fangio would be a leading candidate to replace him as San Francisco’s DC, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required). Barrows does not elaborate on that point, so it’s unclear if he has a bead on the team’s thinking or if he is merely acknowledging the fact that Fangio may well be the top defensive coordinator on the market.
Fangio’s three-year tenure as the Broncos’ head coach from 2019-21 did not go as planned, but he remains one of the most influential and respected defensive minds in the game. He declined multiple offers for DC positions this year, though he indicated in August he would be open to another coordinator role in the future. Of course, he previously operated as the 49ers’ DC under then-head coach Jim Harbaugh from 2011-14, and it seems a reunion could be in the cards.
49ers DTs Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw To Miss Time
The 49ers presently boast the best defense in the league in terms of yards per game, but their DL depth is about to be tested in a big way. As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required) writes, starting defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw are expected to miss at least the next two games.
Armstead, who is dealing with a foot injury, could be placed on injured reserve, which would require that he miss at least four contests. The 2015 first-rounder had been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot and now has a left ankle ailment as well. He missed the club’s Week 3 loss to the Broncos, and while he started the Niners’ Week 4 victory over the Rams, he was forced to leave that game in the fourth quarter.
Until this season, Armstead had been a highly durable player. From 2018-21, he did not miss a single regular season contest and consistently received high marks from Pro Football Focus. If PFF’s grades are any indication, however, Armstead’s foot problems are having an impact on his play. He has struggled to a 52.9 overall grade in an admittedly small sample size this season after posting marks of at least 74.2 since 2018.
Kinlaw, meanwhile, has battled intermittent knee trouble since his college days. A 2020 first-round choice, Kinlaw appeared in 14 games (12 starts) in his rookie campaign, but he played in just four contests in 2021 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery (which was later reported to be an ACL reconstruction). Unlike Armstead, Kinlaw did play in the Denver contest, though he has been on the field for just one practice since then due to a fluid buildup in his surgically-repaired knee.
Given the nature of the surgery, neither Kinlaw nor head coach Kyle Shanahan were surprised by this setback, and Kinlaw acknowledged he would be dealing with some ups and downs throughout the year. Still, this is unwelcome news for a team that invests significant resources into its defensive front and that has been relying heavily on its defense through the first quarter of the season.
In the absence of Armstead and Kinlaw, Kevin Givens and Hassan Ridgeway will serve as the starting DTs.
Development Of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs Will Influence Aaron Rodgers’ Retirement Decision
It seems likely that the playing future of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will once again be a prominent storyline when the calendar turns to 2023. Although the extension he signed this offseason is effectively a three-year, $150MM accord, Rodgers is not necessarily guaranteed to play out the life of the contract.
Indeed, as Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal writes, the development of rookie wideouts Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson will be instrumental in Rodgers’ decision-making process. Green Bay has not drafted a receiver in the first round since 2002, and that fact is frequently mentioned in reports discussing Rodgers’ sometimes strained relationship with the club. After the Packers traded Davante Adams this offseason — a trade made necessary when Adams, noting Rodgers’ uncertain future, declined to sign an extension with Green Bay — it stands to reason that the progress made by Rodgers’ young weapons will factor into his 2023 plans.
It appears that the Packers missed the mark when they selected Amari Rodgers in the third round of the 2021 draft. The Clemson product appeared in only 103 offensive snaps in his rookie year and has seen just four offensive snaps thus far in 2022. He is floundering at or near the bottom of Green Bay’s WR depth chart, and even his kick return duties may be in jeopardy. As of the time of this writing, the Packers are in the midst of their Week 5 contest against the Giants in London, and Watson has been handling kickoff returns (Amari Rodgers is still back deep for punts, but he has fumbled a punt return).
Doubs and Watson, though, offer more hope. Doubs, selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, has been targeted 16 times over the past two games and has reeled in 13 catches for 120 yards and two TDs. Watson, a second-round pick, has not seen as much action, but Rodgers was effusive in his praise of both players.
“I think both guys can be ‘dudes,'” Rodgers said during his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “It’s going to be, how does their confidence progress? How many plays can they lock and anchor into their mind as places to go back to and think about when they’ve maybe had a stretch where they haven’t played their best ball or maybe they need some inspiration? … But I think they both have opportunities to be really, really good players in the league.”
If Doubs and Watson progress as Aaron Rodgers hopes, they could find themselves as the team’s top WR options in 2023. Indeed, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Sammy Watkins are all out of contract at season’s end, and Amari Rodgers’ hold on his roster spot seems tenuous at best. In a scenario where Doubs and Watson have proven themselves worthy, Aaron Rodgers may want to stick around for at least one more year to reap the rewards.
“Look, my decision, when it comes down to it, will be, obviously, the physical part, the mental part, seeing where the team is at,” Aaron Rodgers said. “There’s some moving pieces that’ll factor in, for sure. But seeing the development of [Doubs and Watson] can’t help but be a part of the decision.”
After a Week 1 dud against the Vikings, the Packers have won three in a row. Aaron Rodgers has completed 69% of his passes and has thrown six TDs against three interceptions.
Commanders C Chase Roullier Likely Out For Season, Restructures Contract
Commanders center Chase Roullier is likely done for the season, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported earlier this week (via Twitter). Roullier played in only eight games last season due to a fibula fracture, so this is an especially disappointing development for player and team.
It was the fibula injury, suffered in Week 8 of the 2021 campaign, that landed Roullier on the PUP list at the start of this year’s training camp. The Wyoming product was able to suit up for the 2022 opener, but he went down with a serious injury to his right knee — which John Keim of ESPN.com reports is a torn MCL — in the waning moments of Washington’s Week 2 loss to the Lions. He underwent surgery on the knee on Thursday.
A starter since his rookie year in 2017, Roullier established himself as a quality blocker over his first few professional seasons, with Pro Football Focus consistently awarding him high marks for his pass-blocking prowess. 2020 was his best year yet, and he earned a four-year, $40.5MM extension in January 2021. Unfortunately, after appearing in 46 of a possible 48 regular season games from 2018-20, it looks like Roullier will have appeared in just 10 of a possible 34 games from 2021-22.
He will, however, get a little extra financial security despite the injury. In order to carve out some much-needed cap space, the Commanders have converted $4.5MM of Roullier’s base salary into a signing bonus, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The transaction gives Washington an additional $3MM in cap room.
PFF graded Washington’s O-line as the sixth-best unit in 2020 and 2021, but that group is facing some serious hardship this year. The Commanders lost longtime right guard Brandon Scherff in free agency and tried to replace him with veteran Trai Turner. Turner, though, missed most of training camp with a quad injury and was replaced by Saahdiq Charles during the club’s Week 4 loss to the Cowboys due to poor performance.
Meanwhile, Roullier’s replacement, Wes Schweitzer, sustained a concussion one week after Roullier’s injury and has been placed on IR, so the Commanders will deploy recent acquisition Nick Martin at the pivot for at least a few games. Furthermore, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports that right tackle Sam Cosmi underwent surgery on his right thumb on Tuesday and will miss an undisclosed amount of time.
Commanders Activate RB Brian Robinson
OCTOBER 3: As expected, the team is indeed opening the three-week window for Robinson’s return to practice, head coach Ron Rivera confirmed on Monday.
OCTOBER 2: The Commanders are expected to activate running back Brian Robinson from the reserve/NFI list this week, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. While Robinson has been trending in the right direction, this news is nonetheless a welcome development given that he suffered multiple gunshot wounds in an attempted carjacking at the end of August.
Robinson, a third-round rookie, was impressive in spring work and in training camp, leading to reports that he could be in line for the RB1 role, ahead of 2020-21 starter Antonio Gibson. Robinson took on a larger offensive workload in the early stages of the preseason, whereas Gibson was used as a kick returner for the first time in his pro career. Then, in the preseason finale, Robinson sat out, another sign that he was poised to work with the starting offense.
Shortly after the shooting, it was reported that Robinson was eyeing a return to the field this season, and in the middle of September, we learned that the Alabama product was already doing footwork and agility drills, which suggested that he was getting closer to game action. Rapoport cautions that Robinson is not necessarily assured of playing in Washington’s Week 5 matchup against the Titans; his activation would simply open a three-week window for him to practice before he either has to play or else be shut down for the remainder of the year.
John Keim of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Robinson will have his right leg reexamined today (the gunshots hit his hip and knee, though there was no serious damage to his ligaments, tendons, or bones). Assuming the examination goes well, he would be activated Monday and practice on Wednesday. In his absence, Gibson and J.D. McKissic have split reps in the offensive backfield, with Gibson taking most of the handoffs and McKissic being used in more of a receiver role. Gibson has rushed 40 times for 124 yards, good for a meager 3.1 YPC average. Washington is ranked in the bottom-eight in the league in terms of rushing offense, so the club is doubtlessly eager to get Robinson going.
In other injury news, defensive end Chase Young, who is recovering from an ACL tear, is continuing to target a midseason return. That is consistent with what we heard in August. Center Tyler Larsen, meanwhile, will come off the PUP list this coming week and will be evaluated in practice (Twitter link via Keim). Larsen, who started three games for the Commanders last year, is dealing with an Achilles injury.
Colts LB Shaquille Leonard Exits Week 4 Game With Concussion
4:02pm: Leonard did indeed play in today’s game, registering a pair of tackles. However, he suffered a concussion during the contest, as noted by The Athletic’s Zak Keefer (on Twitter). With the Colts scheduled to play this Thursday, it seems doubtful that Leonard would be available for Week 5.
9:28am: Colts star linebacker Shaquille Leonard is expected to make his 2022 debut against the Titans on Sunday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Barring a setback, Indianapolis will have its three-time First Team All-Pro assuming his familiar role as the anchor of the team’s defense.
Leonard underwent offseason back surgery to relieve the pressure that two discs in his spine were putting on his nerves. Earlier this week, Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star published an article discussing Leonard’s status, noting that some have wondered why he has not returned to game action despite having practiced for nearly a month and being listed as a full participant. Those questions intensified when Leonard was shown moving and celebrating on the video board at Lucas Oil Stadium during the Colts’ Week 3 win over the Chiefs last Sunday.
In responding to that criticism, Leonard referenced the ankle injury that required offseason surgery last year, hampered him throughout the 2021 campaign, and lingered into this past summer. “I’m going to say this, because I’ve seen it all on social media: If I’m ready to go, I’m going to play,” he said. “Everybody knows me. I went out there last year with one ankle. I love this game, I love this game with all my heart and I’d do anything to play this game for 100 years. There’s no such thing as me standing on the sideline because of me.”
Leonard indicated he has not suited up for the first three games of the 2022 season simply because he did not believe he was ready to make a positive contribution to the defense. “People think it was just back and ankle, but there were a lot of nerve things that went wrong,” he added. “Practicing for four weeks: People have to understand, that first week was nothing but stiffness. The second week was OK, how can I cover ground? Third week, OK, let me see how can I tackle? Can I tackle in space? Can I move left and right? Can I do the things that I know I’m supposed to do? That’s what it comes down to.”
Head coach Frank Reich said that the team has been comparing Leonard’s practice tape with tape of him performing at full strength, and that review led him to conclude that Leonard was not yet close enough to his normal self to play. However, Rapoport’s report suggests that the situation has sufficiently improved over the past few days.
It goes without saying that the return of a player of Leonard’s caliber will be a significant development for the 1-1-1 Colts. Despite the ankle injury, Leonard posted 122 total tackles, four interceptions, eight passes defensed, and a league-leading eight forced fumbles in 2021.