DeForest Buckner will not take the field for the Indianapolis Colts as they face the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, Germany on Sunday.
The team announced Thursday evening that he had been placed on the injured reserve list after Buckner hurt his neck in last week’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is currently no timetable on when Buckner will return.
This marks a huge loss for the Colts at defensive tackle, as safety Cam Bynum noted.
“That’s tough,” Bynum said of Buckner’s absence. “Buck is obviously one of the best in the league at his position and one of our leaders on this defense. But it’s the next man up.”
Buckner adds to a list of Colts injuries that includes defensive end Samson Ebukam (knee) and Tyquan Lewis (groin), which could be a major area of weakness that the Falcons can target on Sunday.
The veteran has recorded 42 total tackles (26 solo), along with four sacks and 13 quarterback hits during the 2025 season. And, though those numbers are lesser than some of the best seasons of his career, he has continued to be one of the Colts’ biggest forces defensively and was projected to hit some big numbers on the stat line by the end of the season.
The Falcons ruled out starting left guard Matthew Bergeron (ankle) and edge Leonard Floyd (hamstring) for Week 10. The team also listed right guard Chris Lindstrom (foot) as questionable.
The Colts and the Falcons are set to kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday in Olympiastadion in Berlin.