INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts will be without three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for at least four games after he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a sprained right ankle.
Buckner has been one of the Colts defensive stalwarts since being acquired in a 2020 trade with San Francisco.
He’s only missed one previous game with Indy (0-2), when he was placed on the COVID-19 list in November 2020. Buckner also has played through a series of injuries including a back injury for most of the 2023 season and that was aggravated in a Week 1 loss to Houston.
“He’s a strong presence in that defensive line room, and not only the defensive line, but the whole defense,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said before the announcement was made. “I mean, they look to him, they see him on the field. They have great trust in him, and know that he’s going to play his tail off.”
The timing is especially poor for Indy, which has allowed a league-high 474 yards rushing and two 100-yard rushers through the first two weeks.
Plus, the Colts are getting thinner by the week on defense. Last Tuesday, they put starting cornerback JuJu Brents on injured reserve with a knee injury, starting safety Julian Blackmon missed the Week 2 loss in Green Bay because of a shoulder injury and rookie pass rusher Laiatu Latu, the first defensive player selected in April’s draft at No. 15 overall, hurt his hip on Sunday and did not return.
Losing Buckner means the Colts will need someone to fill his void starting Sunday against the Chicago Bears. That group includes Grover Stewart, Raekwon Davis, Adetomiwa Adebawore and Taven Bryan.
“We’ll utilize those guys and position them where they have a chance to succeed,” said Bradley, who has been scrutinized for the defense’s poor start this season.
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