Buckner won’t be eligible to return until the Colts’ Week 15 matchup against the Seahawks. Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

The Indianapolis Colts were already down their top defensive lineman as they flew to Germany without DeForest Buckner, who was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons due to a neck injury and did not make the overseas trip. But it turns out that this is not a one-game absence for the two-time All-Pro.

Buckner was placed on injured reserve, Colts coach Shane Steichen announced Friday, two days before Indianapolis plays in the NFL’s first game in Berlin. The standout defensive tackle is required to miss at least the Colts’ next four games, including a Week 12 road matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The earliest Buckner could return is in Week 15 at the Seattle Seahawks, though Steichen said he had “no timetable” for the 10-year veteran’s recovery.

“Hopefully, we’ll get him back (this season),” Steichen added.

Steichen initially stated Monday that there were “no injuries” to report after his team’s Week 9 game. But he changed his tune Friday and said Buckner actually sustained his neck injury in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Buckner, whom Steichen called “as tough as they come,” played 49 of the Colts’ 62 defensive snaps (79 percent) against the Steelers, the second most of any Indianapolis defensive lineman.

This is the second straight season that Buckner has been placed on IR. Last year, he missed five games due to a right high ankle sprain he suffered in a road loss against the Green Bay Packers.

Buckner’s absence is a huge loss for Indianapolis. He leads the Colts’ defensive linemen with 42 tackles this season, including a team-high nine tackles for loss. Buckner also ranks second on the team with 31 QB pressures and four sacks, despite frequently being double-teamed.

“Buck is obviously one of the best in the league at his position and one of our leaders on this defense,” Colts free safety Cam Bynum said. “I know Buck is gonna do everything he can to get back healthy and take care of his body like he’s been doing. It’s a tough loss for us, but we know that we have the guys in the room to be able to fill in and it not be a step back at all.”

Buckner will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by six-year veteran Neville Gallimore or third-year pro Adetomiwa Adebawore. Gallimore and Adebawore have played 35 and 33 percent of the team’s defensive snaps this season, respectively, compared to 71 percent for Buckner. Adebawore has 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss, while Gallimore has 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.

In addition to Buckner, Steichen said defensive ends Tyquan Lewis and Samson Ebukam would miss their third straight game due to groin and knee injuries, respectively.

On a positive note, star cornerback Sauce Gardner, whom Indianapolis acquired in a trade with the New York Jets on Tuesday, cleared concussion protocol Thursday and made the trip to Berlin. The two-time first-team All-Pro is set the make his Colts debut Sunday at Olympic Stadium.

“I didn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Is this real?’” Bynum said, describing his reaction to Gardner becoming his teammate. “It was just cool. (He’s) a player that I’ve respected over the years. … It’s always a great addition having a premier player in the league like that, that’s proven himself. And now getting to know him, (he’s) a really hard worker, really smart player, and that’s something that you enjoy having out of big-name players. People that actually care about the game.”

Nov 7, 2025

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James Boyd is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Indianapolis Colts. He grew up in Romeoville, Ill., and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His first job was as a high school sports reporter at The Times of Northwest Indiana and it changed his life forever. Follow James on Twitter @romeovillekid