Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a serious state of change with the firing of offensive coordinator Matt Canada. All attention is on is on the offense but there are still holes on the defensive roster to address. One of those is inside linebacker where the absence of Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander has created uncertainty.
New on Tuesday was that the Indianapolis Colts, in a move to cut salary released star inside linebacker Shaq Leonard. Given his huge contract, it’s a certainty that no team is going to claim him, which means once he clears waivers, he is free to sign wherever he wants.
Enter the Pittsburgh Steelers. In terms of a fit and his ability to come in and have an immediate impact, Pittsburgh has to be enticing. Leonard would come in and start next to veteran Elandon Roberts and lock up the middle of the defense.
Leonard missed all but three games in 2022 with an injury but in the previous four seasons, he topped 120 tackles each year. As a rookie in 2018, he led the league with 163 tackles and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was an All-Pro in each of his four seasons as well.
This season, Leonard started all nine games and was on pace for another 100+ tackle season. If the Steelers are serious about winning this season and making the playoffs, they must make a serious push for Leonard in free agency.
