DeForest Buckner made his only start of the Colts’ final eight games in the days before re-aggravating a neck injury that ended his season and required surgery. DeForest Buckner told the IndyStar he’s been thinking about retirement.
The 31-year-old, who is just a week removed from surgery, was spotted wandering the Colts locker room Monday morning during locker room cleaning day with a stiff gait and wearing a neck brace. He did not speak to reporters. But Buckner’s statement on social media on Wednesday answered the biggest looming question:
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All signs point to the All-Pro defensive tackle returning this fall for the 2026 season with one year remaining on his latest two-year contract extension with the Colts.
“Grade 10…my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of various kinds, consider the presence of pure joy. Let perseverance do its work so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing,” Buckner wrote in an Instagram post Wednesday afternoon, quoting the Bible verse James 1:2-4. “Next season, I will be complete.”
Colts coach Sean Steichen told reporters on Friday before the team’s season finale in Houston that Buckner had successful surgery to repair a herniated disc that caused pinched nerves in the defensive star’s neck during a Week 9 road game at Pittsburgh. Buckner initially passed the test and returned to play after experiencing discomfort, where he managed to play a normal game. He will also pass a strength test the day after the race. But the following Wednesday, Buckner could barely do push-ups, and his strength on the left side of his body had deteriorated significantly.
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The Colts placed the starting defensive tackle on IR, and days later, Buckner traveled to Panama for stem cell injections in an attempt to speed up the recovery process. Weeks later, Buckner spoke to reporters and made it clear that the prospect of him returning to action in 2025 was still up in the air. He called the injuries “very serious.”
“It was definitely a heavy burden on myself to make this decision,” Buckner said as he weighed the possibility of returning to play this season. “I know what’s at stake (for the team), but I also know what’s at stake in my life, so you have to weigh some things.”
A day later, Steichen told reporters that Buckner would return after missing five games to face the 49ers on Monday Night Football with the Colts’ playoff hopes hanging in the balance. Buckner played in 44 games, and while he wasn’t quite as threatening as he was yet, he was successful at times in putting pressure on San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s defense that was otherwise ineffective. In the locker room after the game, Buckner’s teammates praised him for his brave return, recognizing that he risked a neck injury that could have very real consequences.
“A neck injury can impact life off the ball,” Colts starting safety Cam Bynum said.
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In telling reporters that Buckner will undergo surgery soon, Steichen also said the Colts expect Buckner’s surgery to be fully effective and that he will be able to return next season — although some doubts remain, given Buckner’s age and increased frequency of missed games over the past two years. Buckner missed two starts in his first eight seasons and now has lost 12 games in 2024 due to a neck injury and a high ankle sprain.
What happens beyond 2026 appears to be undetermined, but early in the recent rehab process, Buckner seemed encouraged enough to begin rehabbing with an eye on playing at least one more season.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts All season long. Get more coverage with IndyStarTV and the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: DeForest Buckner plans to return to Colts in 2026 despite neck injury
