The Colts will be without one of their star players for at least the next four weeks in DT DeForest Buckner.
The Indianapolis Colts are placing All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on injured reserve, according to multiple reports.
Colts got semi-good news on DT DeForest Buckner after MRI. He sustained a high sprain to right ankle, but it is not season-ending, per source. Buckner clearly will miss a few games.
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) September 17, 2024
FOX59’s Mike Chappell was the first to report Buckner’s high-ankle sprain. Buckner suffered the high-ankle sprain to his right ankle during Indianapolis’ 16-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
The 30-year-old defensive tackle now heads to IR, meaning he’ll miss at least the team’s next four games against the Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars (away) and Tennessee Titans (away).
In total, the star defensive tackle has missed only two games in his career, and it’ll be his first game missed with the Colts since 2020. Buckner’s stability in the running game and effectiveness as a pass rusher will not be easy to replace, especially for a Colts’ defense that has struggled immensely to stop the run, giving up a grand total of 475 yards through the first two weeks of the season.
The four-time team captain has been one of the league’s best players at his position for some time, garnering a minimum of seven sacks over each of the last four seasons in Indianapolis. Through two games, Buckner had 1.5 sacks and seven combined tackles.
At the earliest, Buckner would be eligible to return for Indianapolis’ home game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 7. For now, though, the Colts’ focus will be on figuring things out — particularly on defense — as they look to climb out of an 0-2 start to the 2024 season.
