Darius Leonard did not see Philip Rivers’ retirement coming.
The linebacker admitted during preparations for the Super Bowl LV that he was surprised by Rivers’ retirement announcement, but explained that he understood the quarterback’s decision, praising Rivers for playing 17 years at a high level.
“It was definitely a total shock,” said Leonard, via SiriusXM NFL radio. “You know, just talking to him a few days before announcing, he still didn’t know what he was going to do. I personally believe he still has a little bit of life. He played really well this year for us and I thought he would come back next year and do the exact same thing and play even better. “
Now that Rivers is gone, Leonard isn’t aiming for the moon with his wishes for the next Colts defender – he just wants someone to buy what Indianapolis is selling.
“Honestly, I don’t care who the quarterback is, as long as the quarterback comes with the right mindset and helps us win games with the ball,” said Leonard. “I don’t care if he’s young, I don’t care if he’s old, I don’t care if he’s known or not. If you’re going to come in and put the team first and help us win ball games, come to the Indianapolis Colts. “
Rumors of a possible deal to acquire Carson Wentz put the Colts at the center of the rumors of interested teams, and with the defenders switching teams at a higher than normal rate and the Colts needing one, they will continue in the midst of potential pairings with new faces. This could mean an off-season with Leonard’s team often in the headlines, especially after the Colts were competitive enough with Rivers to make it to the wild card round and lose a tough game to Buffalo.
“I’m just going to trust the guys at the front and then let the chips fall where they fall and control what I can control in defense, and that’s just playing hard and doing what we can do,” said Leonard.
In mid-February, we may not know who the Colts will turn to in position for some time. But we know it won’t be Rivers (or Andrew Luck).