Colts linebacker Darius Leonard wasn’t expecting Philip Rivers to retire.
Leonard said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that it was a “complete shock” to learn that Rivers was walking away because he felt Rivers did a good job in his lone season with the team and would play well again in 2021. That decision left a big hole on the Colts offense, but Leonard said he isn’t giving much thought to what the team should do to fill it.
General Manager Chris Ballard is running the search for a new starter and Leonard says that he will “trust the guys in the front office and let the chips fall where they fall.”
“I watch it, but I don’t get emotionally invested in it because I honestly don’t care who’s the quarterback as long as the quarterback comes in with the right mentality and they’re gonna help us win ball games,” Leonard said. “I don’t care if he’s young. I don’t care if he’s old. I don’t care if he’s well-known or not. If you’re going to come in and put the team first and help us win ball games, come on down to the Indianapolis Colts.”
The Colts were one of the teams that reportedly made an offer for Matthew Stafford before the Lions agreed to send him to the Rams and they’ve been linked to a pursuit of Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. That may not be the direction they go, but it doesn’t sound like Leonard will be losing any sleep about how that plays out.