Indianapolis Colts Face Major Loss as Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle, DeForest Buckner, Lands on Injury Reserve

Colts’ Defense Suffers as DeForest Buckner Lands on Injured List

The Indianapolis Colts, who have yet to secure a win this season, suffered a significant setback when Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday due to a right high ankle sprain. This development exacerbates the Colts’ defensive woes, which have been under heavy fire from opponents’ ground games in the first two games, surrendering a league-worst 474 yards on the ground to the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers.

Longest Absence in Buckner’s Stellar Career

With this injury, Buckner will be absent for at least four games, marking the longest absence in his laudable career. The seasoned veteran, in his ninth year, has only missed one game due to injury, which occurred in his 2016 rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers. Buckner has since established himself as one of the NFL’s most reliable players.

Buckner’s Absence: A Significant Loss for the Colts’ Defense

Buckner’s loss will be deeply felt by the Colts. Since 2018, only two interior defensive linemen in the league – Aaron Donald and Chris Jones – have surpassed Buckner’s record of 53.5 sacks. Buckner also ranks highly in terms of snap counts among defensive tackles, having played 73.5% of the Colts’ defensive snaps since his 2020 trade to the team.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley spoke highly of Buckner on Tuesday, emphasizing his importance to the team. “He’s a strong presence in that D-line room, and not only [with] the D-line but the whole defense. They look to him, they see him on the field, they have great trust in him and know that he’s going to play his tail off.”

Colts Suffer Additional Loss with Injury to Samson Ebukam

In addition to Buckner’s injury, the Colts also lost 2023 sack leader Samson Ebukam due to an Achilles injury during training camp, likely sidelining him for the entire season.