Malik Hooker's cryptic tweet hints Cowboys S is recruiting former teammate Shaquille Leonard

The Dallas Cowboys are gearing up to play the Commanders on Thanksgiving, but the fan base is busy debating on social media whether the team should pursue newly-available linebacker Shaquille Leonard, whom the Colts shockingly released on Tuesday after five seasons.

It's expected that Leonard will clear waivers due to his bloated contract and become a free agent, making him free to sign with any team.

It's not like the Cowboys to enter a bidding war, but they might have an inside track to recruiting Leonard compared to other teams.

For starters, Stephon Gilmore was Leonard's teammate last season in Indianapolis. That alone should work in Dallas' favor, but safety Malik Hooker might be Jerry Jones' ace in the hole, as he was Leonard's teammate on the Colts for three seasons spanning 2018-2020.

Is Hooker currently recruiting Leonard to the Cowboys? That's unknown, but the former first-round pick dropped a hint in that regard with a cryptic tweet shortly after Leonard's release became official.

You can find Hooker's post behind this link.

Is Cowboys safety Malik Hooker recruiting former teammate Shaquille Leonard after Colts release?

Hooker tweeted two eyeball emojis, so that could mean anything. However, the timing was awfully suspicious and we're talking about players who shared a locker room for three seasons. The Colts selected Hooker in the first round of the 2017 draft. A year later, they took Leonard with their second pick in the 2018 draft (No. 36 overall).

Ironically, Hooker and Leonard endured similar falling outs in Indianapolis.

Hooker suffered a torn ACL in his rookie year that limited him to nine games. Hooker's second and third years were filled with a number of splash plays and lapses in coverage before he tore his Achilles two games into the 2020 season.

Leonard, meanwhile, reached incredible heights with the Colts. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and followed that with three-straight All-Pro nods.

He logged at least 120 tackles in all four seasons and led the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2020. Furthermore, no linebacker has more interceptions than Leonard's 12 since he entered the league in 2018, and that's despite the fact injuries limited him to three games in 2022.

Multiple back procedures have taken a toll on Leonard's athleticism, which led to his playing time being slashed and his eventual release.

Following Leighton Vander Esch's season-ending neck injury, the Cowboys could use another linebacker behind starters Damone Clark and Markquese Bell.

Time will tell if Dallas makes a run at Leonard. If they do, we can't help but wonder of Hooker's potential influence in the chase.

More from Our Site: