According to head coach Shane Steichen, he’s “very optimistic” that Pro Bowl veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will return this year (via 1075 The Fan’s Kevin Bowen):
Unfortunately, Buckner won’t be eligible to return off injured reserve until Week 15 at the earliest on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, as he has to miss three more games (as the Colts Week 11 BYE doesn’t count towards the 4 games).
He’s reportedly been rehabbing in the Colts building at W. 56th Street.
Whether ‘year’ here means closer to the end of the calendar year or even with an eye towards the playoffs, and I guess we’ll have to find out.
Via his personal social media account later last week, he shared that he went to Panama to receive regenerative stem cell treatment presumably in his injured neck. Since then, perhaps he’s already starting to feel better rehabbing his neck around the facility.
On the season, Buckner has 42 tackles (26 solo) and 4.0 sacks during 9 starts. Per PFF, he’s received a +74.9 overall grade, which is currently the 14th best among all defensive tackles despite the missed Week 10 start—including a +76.1 pass rushing grade.
It’s unfortunate because even with Sauce Gardner’s much anticipated arrival in Week 10 at historic Berlin, Germany, we won’t exactly see the Colts defense at full strength until Buckner’s (hopeful) eventual return down the 2025 campaign’s final stretch run.
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