When Shaq Leonard hit the open market after clearing waivers in mid-November, there were plenty of dots trying to connect the Pittsburgh Steelers to the former All-Pro and Pro Bowl linebacker.
Already down linebackers Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander due to season-ending injuries suffered in back-to-back weeks, the need was very obviously there for the Steelers at the inside linebacker position. So was their familiarity with Leonard, having hosted him for a pre-draft visit in 2018.
Ultimately, the Steelers didn’t show any interest, leading to Leonard making visits to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles before signing a one-year deal with the defending NFC champion Eagles on Dec. 4.
Though the fit was obvious with Leonard and the price tag wouldn’t have been all that high after he cleared waivers, Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola believes that Leonard’s injury history likely cooled any sort of interest that the Steelers may have had in the former standout linebacker.
Responding to a reader in the Dec. 12 “Asked and Answered” segment for the team website, Labriola laid that out rather clearly, at least based on his belief.
“A 28-year-old, three-time All-Pro inside linebacker is an accurate description of Leonard, but so is a 28-year-old inside linebacker who twice has needed surgery on his back. I imagine the injury history is what cooled whatever interest the Steelers might have had in him,” Labriola said of Leonard, according to Steelers.com.
Yes, Leonard has the resume and the production at the linebacker position. But those injury concerns were real after the Colts moved on from him.
Leonard has already had back surgery to fix a bulging disc, and also had ankle surgery during his time in the NFL, both of which have led to him losing some speed and overall athleticism. That back surgery occurred in June 2022. In November of last year, Leonard had another back procedure, so that is two back surgeries in a span of five months.
That is rather concerning for any professional athlete, especially one who plays such a physically demanding position like inside linebacker.
Instead of pursuing Leonard, the Steelers decided to bring Myles Jack out of retirement, signing him to their practice squad. They also signed veteran linebacker Blake Martinez off the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad, giving the Steelers some much-needed experience at the position next to Elandon Roberts after losing Holcomb and Alexander.
Those moves came after the addition of veteran Mykal Walker to the position in October as depth.
Though the position — outside of Roberts — has struggled since losing Alexander and Holcomb, Leonard wasn’t deemed a fit. Chances are, he might not have had any interest with the Steelers, either, aiming to play for a contender instead. But as Labriola believes, the injury concerns with Leonard likely played a factor in the end from the Steelers’ perspective.
