The feel of football season is officially in the air. Hall of Fame weekend is always the “reintroduction” to football. Training camp is underway and the first week of the preseason starts this week. Thursday to be exact. In the last few weeks, some notable players have inked extensions to remain with their current teams. Josh Allen signed a six-year extension that will keep him in Buffalo, Nick Chubb signed an extension with the Cleveland Browns and the 49ers extended Fred Warner. Darius Leonard was also on the radar to get paid. The 49ers set the bar, so what would the Colts do? This morning, Indianapolis agreed to extend their star linebacker. A five-year, $98 million extension which makes him the highest paid inside linebacker in the league.
Since breaking into the league, Darius has established himself as one of the three best linebackers in the league. His peers around the league have nicknamed him the “maniac” because of the energy he brings on a weekly basis. The energy he displays is contagious and those are the types of players that you want to be around. Those guys make you better and help you step your game up. The Colts defense feeds off that. Darius is as well rounded as they come. First, he’s a tackling machine. He’s going to find himself to the ball. Darius has quick, yet choppy hands to shed blockers. As a tackler, he squares up and places his shoulder pad perfectly to bring someone down. Next, he can cover. The man has no problem dropping back in coverage to help in pass defense. I see confidence when he’s playing pass defense because he feels he can guard anyone that comes in his area. He plays with great strength and speed. I feel Darius’ athleticism goes unnoticed. I remember an interception he recorded in 2019 against the Houston Texans. Deshaun Watson threw the ball, it was tipped and out of nowhere, you see number 53 just get the ball before it could hit the ground.
I think you know the rule by now: You better have game if you have two first names! This kid has lived up to that saying and then some. In a short period of time, he’s become the leader and heartbeat of the Colts. Darius is the true prototypical linebacker for this game. I enjoy watching him play. When I think of guys who leave everything on the field, he’s one of the first three people who comes to mind. He’s one of the top defensive players in this game. I’m glad to see him get extended.
