NFL Week 1 - Indianapolis Colts linebacker is officially ruled out of Sunday's season opener against the Houston Texans, Colts head coach Frank Reich announced during a press conference on Friday.
Leonard has been recovering from back surgery, missing the entirety of Colts training camp. The surgery was meant to fix two discs in Leonard's back that pushed down on nerve endings, causing discomfort in the lower body.
"He's making good progress," said Reich. "We feel good about the progress he's making. We just felt, after talking with Shaq, after talking with the trainers and doctors that it was the best thing for him and our team to hold him out this week.