Shaquille Leonard is less than two years removed from his last All-Pro season. The 28-year-old linebacker hasn’t looked like one of the league’s elite defenders recently, however.
A 2022 injury led to diminished play, concerns about his snap share and, ultimately, his surprising release before Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season. While any team can now snag him off waivers, the $6.1 million salary owed to him by any franchise that does so is a prohibitive cost. It’s much more likely he’ll go unclaimed, allowing him to sign a new contract with any interested team at a more palatable price tag for the rest of the year.
Leonard hasn’t played up to the high standard he’d set between 2018 and 2021. Once a do-it-all chunk of foundational bedrock in the middle of the field, waning lateral quickness related to last year’s back injury has lowered his ceiling. 2023 saw his coverage skills erode as he tried to chase down running backs and served as the backdrop of a 7.1 percent missed tackle rate — highest of his career.
This doesn’t mean his career is over. Leonard can still offer plenty at a position of need for many teams, particularly those in the thick of this winter’s playoff race. So who’d make the most sense? These are the teams who’ll likely be in touch with his agent, in no particular order.
Philadelphia Eagles
Off-ball linebacker has been a weak spot for the Eagles despite their rise up the NFC ranks. TJ Edwards developed into a useful starter, then departed to join the Chicago Bears as a free agent last spring. 2022 third round pick Nakobe Dean has failed to meet the potential that once graded him as a potential Day 1 selection and is currently on injured reserve. Zach Cunningham and Nick Morrow are decent, but carry their own concerns as journeyman veterans discarded by other teams.
Leonard fits into that final category. While there’s no guarantee he’d be able to outplay either of those two current starters, he’d bring valuable depth to the second level — a position where the next man up is little-used Christian Elliss. That 2022 back injury suggests he wouldn’t be able to bring the sideline-to-sideline speed Philly craves at inside linebacker, but he’d be a solid addition. On top of that, the Eagles could provide Leonard a pathway to postseason success.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have a penchant for veteran, vaguely wanted inside linebackers lately. In 2022 they signed Myles Jack. In 2023 they added Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts. And this week they brought Jack and Blake Martinez out of presumed retirements for another go-round in Pittsburgh.
Needless to say, off-ball linebacker remains a need for Mike Tomlin. If he’s willing to roll the dice with one savvy veteran who hasn’t been the same after a significant injury (Jack) then Leonard fits the profile pretty well. There’s an immediate path to playing time alongside Roberts on a depth chart where the rest of the LB rotation includes Mykal Walker and Mark Robinson. With changes looming for a Steeler team that finally got serious about its offense and fired coordinator Matt Canada, a push to see Leonard in black and yellow could work out for both parties.
Cleveland Browns
Like the Steelers, Cleveland relies heavily on a hard-hitting defense to cover for a mostly inept passing game. And like Pittsburgh, the Browns are invested in veteran help at off-ball linebacker in hopes of patching holes not yet filled by homegrown talent. In this case, that’s Leonard’s former teammate Anthony Walker.
Walker and Leonard were once a formidable young core behind some solid Colts teams. They could reunite again in 2023 if general manager Andrew Berry decides the team needs additional depth at the position. The combination of Walker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Sione Takitaki has been generally… fine for Cleveland, but given the state of the team’s offense with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the helm there’s no such thing as having too much talent on the defensive side of the ball.
Houston Texans
The linebacker manning the middle of the field during Houston’s resurgence has typically been Henry To’oto’o, a fifth round rookie who was awesome in college at Tennessee and Alabama but who has struggled in his NFL debut. To’oto’o has allowed a 136.7 passer rating in coverage and has 10 missed tackles in eight games. He also missed last week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals due to a concussion.
Leonard would bring veteran leadership to a young defense and provide an upgrade over the rookie, even if he’s not at his best. More importantly, he’s the kind of defender DeMeco Ryans — an All-Pro off-ball linebacker during his playing days — can appreciate. The Texans need a boost to make their unlikely run at the AFC South title a reality. Leonard presents their best opportunity at an upgrade outside the current roster.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys got back-to-back years of (mostly) good health from Leighton Vander Esch in 2021 and 2022, shoring up their defense in the middle of the field. That trend failed in 2023, and the former All-Pro’s season is over after just five games due to a neck injury.
That leaves a hole in the lineup for a savvy veteran capable of playing smart enough football to allow the guys around him to tilt toward high risk, high reward situations and make opposing offenses pay. Leonard isn’t quite that guy anymore, but he’d be vital insurance should safety-turned-STAR-linebacker Markquese Bell backslide after his impressive audition filling in for Vander Esch.
Worst case scenario, he’d be able to supplant Rashaan Evans as the first linebacker off the bench and give defensive coordinator Dan Quinn a little more flexibility when it comes to dialing up the aggression and weirdness through which he thrives.
