2025 was a terrible season for the Indianapolis Colts in terms of the severity of injuries to players, and that included DeForest Buckner. The good news is that after having surgery this offseason, he might be on the fasttrack to return.
Buckner suffered a herniated disc in his neck in Week 9, went on injured reserve, returned in Week 16, but aggravated the issue. To hopefully repair the problem that was causing him intense pain, he had surgery in January. That seems to have gone well, and he is expected to return to playing football.
According to what general manager Chris Ballard told the media at the NFL combine this week, the expectation is that the defensive lineman will be ready by the time training camp begins in July. Ballard wouldn't put it past Buckner to return sooner, though.
Indianapolis Colts might have DeForest Buckner back by minicamp in June
Ballard said, "I’m not going to put a timeframe on it. We’re expecting him back for training camp. The way he works and who he is, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s sooner."
Of course, Ballard cannot put a timeframe on Buckner coming back because the GM is not a doctor. He has to listen to what Buckner's people are saying and base future decisions on that. That is how it should be.
For the defensive lineman, he has to trust that the surgery has a long-term effect. Neck injuries are obviously nothing to be trifled with. Buckner not only risks not playing again if he suffers the same injury again, but he is taking a gamble of affecting his quality of life after football. Still, every football player does that when they play; it is a collision sport, after all.
The belief should be that DeForest Buckner returns in 2026 and has the same quality of year he has had throughout his time with Indy. and is one of the better players at his position in the NFL. He is a transformative player.
The D-lineman has spent six seasons with Indianapolis, and in four of those seasons, he has played at least 15 games. In those years, he has had at least eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
The Indianapolis Colts could have a decision on Buckner soon, though. He missed five games in 2024 and missed seven in 2025. He will be 32 years old at the beginning of next season. The final year of his current contract is 2026.
The possibility exists that Buckner will be spending his final season with the Colts next year. That has nothing to do with his previous injuries, and he might continue to play elsewhere in 2027. But Indy might need to pay a younger player to play Buckner's position beginning after 2026.