DeForest Buckner’s value to the Colts goes well beyond the stat sheet, and Indianapolis is being reminded of that again as the new season approaches.
The Colts are heading into a year with plenty of uncertainty. There are shaky spots on the roster, a head coach and general manager under pressure, and a division that looks brutally difficult to win, let alone navigate well enough to land a wild-card spot. In the middle of all that, one of the few steadying forces is Buckner’s expected return.
The veteran defensive tackle missed a significant chunk of last season after suffering a serious herniated disc in his neck that required surgery. Buckner arrived in Indianapolis six seasons ago and quickly became a leader on and off the field, which is why his comeback matters so much now.
He has been candid this offseason about the mental and emotional strain the injury placed on him and his family. Even so, he is preparing for the season ahead. The question is less whether he’ll be back and more what version of Buckner the Colts will get when he returns.
That uncertainty showed up in ESPN’s latest positional rankings from Jeremy Fowler, which left Buckner outside the top 10 among defensive tackles. Fowler’s ranking was not tied to a decline in Buckner’s play, but rather to other factors, with last season’s injury also likely part of the equation.
“No real drop-off in his play. He's still elite -- just older and injured," an NFL defensive line coach told Fowler.
Buckner has been elite at the position for most of his long NFL career, but until he’s back on the field and playing meaningful snaps again, there’s no clean way to know how quickly he’ll hit top gear. The Colts are watching his recovery and offseason work closely, and while he appears on track for Week 1, his early-season impact remains an open question.
What isn’t in doubt is how much he still means to the team. Buckner remains a major piece for Indianapolis and a significant asset for the younger players as they head into what looks like a difficult season.
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