Released Pro Bowl LB could be missing piece to Steelers defense

The Steelers revamped inside linebacker unit has seen two season-ending injuries to Cole Holcomb (ankle) and Kwon Alexander (torn Achilles), forcing them to rebuild it once again. Could a recently released Pro Bowler be the missing piece?

The Colts announced on Tuesday that they are releasing former Pro Bowl LB Shaquille Leonard, a second-round pick in 2018, and Pittsburgh should consider taking a chance on him.

The start to Leonard's NFL career was impressive as he was named the 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 163 tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.

He followed up his rookie year with three straight 100+ tackle seasons and 22 takeaways (13 forced fumbles, nine interceptions).

However, after suffering a back injury in 2022, Leonard's play took a massive dip. Over the past two seasons, he has just 76 tackles and one interception. Indianapolis informed the 28-year-old he was being benched and shortly after released him.

It would be a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Steelers as they have begun to rebuild their inside linebacker room. They've already added veteran linebackers Myles Jack and Blake Martinez ahead of their Week 12 matchup against the Bengals.

But if Leonard is fully healthy, it may just take a change in scenery to get him back to playing at a high level. Will he return to his 2018 form? Probably not. But Pittsburgh won't know if it doesn't take the chance.

General manager Omar Khan has proven to be aggressive when he sees a hole on the Steelers roster. With the team looking for answers at inside linebacker, don't be surprised if Leonard's next stop is Pittsburgh.