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.