Colts place Darius Leonard, 3 others on PUP list
The Indianapolis Colts placed linebacker Darius Leonard on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list along with three others, the team announced Sunday.
Leonard going to the PUP list isn’t a surprise considering he had back surgery during the offseason. The expectation is that he will miss some of training camp but, at this point, is expected to be ready for Week 1.
When it comes to the PUP list, there is no set timeline during training camp and the preseason. If a player goes on the PUP list, he can return whenever he is ready. These players also count toward the 90-man roster so no corresponding moves will need to be made.
The Colts also placed rookie defensive tackle Eric Johnson II on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.
Here’s a look at the full list of moves made Sunday:
LB Darius Leonard (PUP List)
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
As stated above, Leonard underwent back surgery in June to deal with an issue in his back, which may or may not have had an impact on the nagging ankle injury that Leonard has dealt with as well. It’s not totally clear how much the back injury impacted the ankle injury, but this is certainly worth monitoring.
Though the Colts are confident Leonard will be ready for Week 1, it’s always best to keep cautious optimism when it comes to preseason injuries.
DL Tyquan Lewis (PUP List)
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
This shouldn’t be a surprise. Lewis is coming off of a major knee injury that occurred during Week 8 of the regular season in a division game against the Tennessee Titans. The Colts re-signed the former second-round pick this offseason, but he may not be fully ready to begin the season.
S Rodney McLeod (PUP List)
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The safety room is getting thin. It isn’t clear what kind of injury McLeod is dealing with, but hopefully, it’s a minor one. The Colts now open camp with just four safeties on the roster, two of which have NFL experience. On top of that, starter Julian Blackmon is still working his way back from Achilles surgery so he may be limited to begin training camp. It is a good sign for Blackmon that he didn’t go on the PUP list, though.
WR Mike Strachan
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
It has been a rough Year 2 for Strachan so far. He missed the majority—if not all—of the spring workouts due to an undisclosed injury and now will miss the beginning of training camp as he works his way back. The news of Strachan going on the PUP list was first reported by Charlie Clifford of WISH-TV, and the former seventh-round pick will have a lot of catching up to do when he comes back.
DT Eric Johnson II (NFI List)
AP Photo/Butch Dill
This move is a bit of a surprise. Johnson going on the NFI list means he suffered an injury that wasn’t during an organized team event. Whether he was injured training on his own or simply off the field, Johnson will begin camp on the sidelines. Like the PUP list, he can come off at any time. This also would explain why the Colts claimed a defensive tackle on Saturday.
