Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard (53) warms up Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, ahead of a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Colts waive LB Shaquille Leonard

The Indianapolis Colts waived three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard on Tuesday.

Leonard broke the news of his own release Tuesday afternoon on social media by thanking the Colts fans.

“I want to thank you for accepting me and my family with open arms,” Leonard wrote on Twitter. “These past 6 years has been nothing but incredible! Through the good times and bad time y’all stood by my side. I apologize for not bringing that trophy back to the 317.

“The energy in Lucas Oil has been nothing but amazing and I thank you for every memory. I’m thankful to play for such an amazing fan base. I love you guys and wish the Colts nothing but the best. Maniac out.”

Leonard, a 28-year-old South Carolina native, has 65 tackles in nine games (all starts) this season.

“Colts Nation will always remember The Maniac’s palpable energy on the field with each tackle, interception, punchout and fumble recovery,” Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay said. “Off the field, he’s a servant leader and assisted numerous families in both his hometown and the Indianapolis community. We’re thankful for Shaq and the contributions he made to our organization. We wish him and his beautiful family the best moving forward.”

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Leonard has totaled 614 tackles, 17 forced fumbles, 15 sacks and 12 interceptions in 70 games (68 starts) since Indianapolis drafted him in the second round in 2018.

“Shaq is the ultimate competitor and has been a fan favorite since he arrived as a rookie in 2018,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “We are incredibly grateful for his contributions to the team and the city of Indianapolis over the last six seasons. We wish him the best and he will always be a valued member of the Horseshoe.”

The Colts (5-5) host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 10, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin (26) smiles before the game against the Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Jaguars’ Shaquill Griffin (concussion) out vs. Rams

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin will not make the trip to Los Angeles for Sunday’s game against the Rams, ESPN reported.

Griffin is dealing with a concussion he sustained during the Jaguars’ 30-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 21.

He didn’t practice at all last week and sat out Jacksonville’s 21-14 setback to the Atlanta Falcons. He also had yet to participate in practice this week.

Griffin, 26, has recorded 36 tackles and one forced fumble in 10 games this season for the Jaguars (2-9).

A Pro Bowl selection in 2019, Griffin has 285 tackles and six interceptions in 67 career games (63 starts) with the Seattle Seahawks (2017-20) and Jaguars. He was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

Charles Barkley to be the New Face of DraftKings Sportsbook Ad Campaign

The Round Mound of Rebound and entertaining commentator on Inside the NBA has become the new spokesperson for DraftKings national ad campaign. In addition to advertisements, Barkley has also helped with a series of videos “Barkley Knows Bets,” which released on August 13th. 

It’s a big move for DraftKings who get one of the most popular sports personality voices on television. Emory Marketing professor Mike Lewis believes DraftKings receives two main benefits.

“First, [DraftKings] gets some publicity benefits.  Barkley is a major sports personality that the media loves to cover.  It’s almost like a stadium naming deal in that it generates massive sports press coverage,” Lewis explained through an email. “Second, there is likely a brand benefit.  Sports fans perceive Charles as cool, irreverent and smart.  The draft king brand likely gets “some” of this cool by association.”

These are the kind of partnerships allowed by the Supreme Court decision last April. Betting is still the massive business it was before but now is being pushed out through mainstream channels. 

For Barkley he is able to align himself with DraftKings who appears poised to be a major player in the new US sports betting landscape. Barkley has been appearing on more advertisements recently, a move that may in part come from him sharing the Inside the NBA desk with Shaq, a notorious brand spokesman. 

[In addition to the payday], I also suspect that Barkley is trying to follow the Shaq business model,” Lewis wrote. “Shaq has created a business empire through being an interesting pitchman. My guess is that the plan is use these types of partnerships to also build the Barkley brand. Both these guys are verbally adept and have charisma so it’s a natural way to build their brands.”

Expect to see more mainstream crossover from large sportsbooks with retired household athletes. In addition to “Good News, Bad News” above, DraftKings has also released “Something’s Wrong.” If you are a new bettor who wants to get the basics for sports gambling, who better to provide the lesson than Barkley. The full series of “Barkley Knows Bets,” can be found here