The Indianapolis Colts have a DeForest Buckner problem they can’t keep pretending away.
When he’s on the field, Buckner still looks like the kind of interior force every defense wants - the sort of player who can wreck a plan before it ever gets off the ground. The issue for Indianapolis is simple: that version of Buckner hasn’t been available often enough.
Since the Colts gave him a two-year, $46 million extension, Buckner has missed 12 games. That’s the part that matters most now, especially with training camp nearing and only a Week 1 return being floated as the target. There haven’t been many updates on his recovery, and for a player whose availability has already become a real concern, that silence only sharpens the uncertainty.
His latest setback was a neck injury that knocked him out for half of last season and even pushed him to think about retirement. Buckner had been remarkably durable for much of a decade in the league, but he also missed time with an ankle injury in 2024, and that leaves the Colts with no real reason to assume the next stretch will be cleaner.
The production, when he has played, still screams impact. Since coming over in the trade with the San Francisco 49ers, Buckner has piled up 389 total tackles, 43.0 sacks and six forced fumbles in 88 games. Last season, even while missing half the year, he averaged 3.6 pressures per game, according to Pro Football Focus, and added 22 run stops.
That kind of output is why this is such a difficult roster issue for Indianapolis. There isn’t a true replacement sitting behind him. Grover Stewart is set to start alongside him and should bring a physical edge against the run, but if Buckner misses time again, the Colts would be paper-thin inside.
Trading for Colby Wooden should give them some help, and Adetomiwa Adebawore is the most likely candidate to absorb snaps if Buckner isn’t available. But neither player is close to Buckner’s level. Derrick Nnadi and Jerry Tillery are part of the picture too, though the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs were willing to let both leave in free agency says plenty.
At 32, with a history of injuries, Buckner is no longer someone the Colts can simply count on without a backup plan. Even if he returns and performs like he always has, Indianapolis needs to start thinking about what comes next. After 12 missed games over the last two years, failing to prepare for that reality would be a roster mistake the Colts can’t afford to keep making.
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Two Colts Additions Already Look In Trouble Before Camp Begins
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CJ Allen is part of that larger picture as the projected starting MIKE linebacker, while A.J. Haulcy, Hunter Wohler and Bryce Boettcher all fit into a defense that is still sorting out where its next wave of contributors will land. On offense, Tyler Warren is expected to take on a larger role as the Colts try to replace what they lost from Michael Pittman Jr., and Anthony Richardson Sr. remains in a complicated spot as he competes with Riley Leonard for the QB2 job behind Daniel Jones, adding another layer to a roster debate that is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Alec Pierce Faces The Colts Season That Changes Everything
Alec Pierces next season in Indianapolis comes with a very different kind of weight after the Colts handed him a four-year, $114 million extension and cleared the path for him to become the offenses lead wideout. He has already shown the kind of downfield ability that makes him valuable in this system, and Pro Football Focus has him sitting just outside the top 20 at his position, a sign that the league is starting to view him as more than a complementary target.
What happens next matters because Pierce is no longer being paid like a role player, and the Colts are treating him like a receiver who should help define the passing game. A strong year could push him into the 15-20 range in those PFF rankings, which would be a meaningful jump for a player whose production has still left room for more. For Indianapolis, the question is whether Pierce can turn that promise into the kind of season that changes his standing around the NFL. [Read more 🡒]