Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner’s neck injury surfaced in the days following the team’s 27-20 road loss to Pittsburgh, head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Monday, resulting in the team putting him on injured reserve through at least the middle of December.
Immediately following the loss to the Steelers, Steichen said the team had come away with no injuries of note, and the third-year head coach reiterated the same last Monday. Buckner, who spent a brief stint in the blue injury tent during the Pittsburgh game but played his normal 79% of the team’s defensive snaps that game, then missed the team’s practices Wednesday and Thursday. Before the team boarded its flight to Berlin on Thursday, the Colts ruled the 10-year veteran out for the team’s eventual 31-25 overtime victory, opting for Buckner not to travel.
On Friday, the team announced they had placed the defense’s longtime leader on IR, meaning he would miss at least the next four weeks. The first game Buckner could potentially return for is the Colts’ road trip to Seattle Dec. 14.
“I think that was just one of those deals that happened early in the week. (Buckner) came in Monday or Tuesday, whenever it was, and just had some pain there in the neck,” Steichen said Monday. “We don’t have a timetable for his return, but we’re very hopeful that he’ll be back this season for sure.”
The loss is a major blow to a Colts pass rush that had gotten some major assistance at the trade deadline in Sauce Gardner from the Jets. Lou Anarumo;s defense should be able to execute better in man-to-man coverage on the outside, giving the pass rush more time to get home.
Through eight games this year, Buckner – a frequent recipient of double teams – was tied for the team lead in quarterback hits (13), and he trailed only defensive end Laiatu Latu in sacks (5-4) and pressures (35-31).
In his five previous seasons with the Colts, Buckner had missed just six games – five coming a year ago from a significant ankle injury that put him on IR. He’s previously played through a dislocated finger, a heavily sprained ankle and intermittent back issues.
“He’s as tough as they get,” Steichen said Friday. “Any time a guy like that goes down, obviously it hurts our football team. He’s one of our leaders, one of our best players on defense, been a staple for us.”
In Buckner’s place, third-year defensive tackle Adetomiwa Ademawore (44 snaps, 70% overall) and veteran Neville Gallimore (32 snaps, 51%) played increased roles on the interior defensive line alongside Grover Stewart.
Though the Colts defense managed three sacks of Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in Sunday’s win, none came from the defensive line, with safeties Cam Bynum and Nick Cross, and linebacker Zaire Franklin getting the sacks.
Up next on the schedule is a road trip to the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes with an offensive line that has given up the eighth-fewest sacks in the league in 2025.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.