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In the days leading up to his lone start in the Colts' final eight games -- where he'd reaggrivate his neck injury that would place him on season-ending IR and lead to surgery -- DeForest Buckner told IndyStar he'd been contemplating the prospect of retirement.
The 31-year-old just one week removed from surgery briefly was spotted roaming the Colts locker room Monday morning during locker cleanout day walking somewhat stiff and sporting a neck brace. He was not made available to speak with reporters. But Wednesday, Buckner's statement on social media answered the biggest question looming:
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All signs point to a return for the 2026 season this fall for the All-Pro defensive tackle who has one year left on his latest two-year extension with the Colts.
"Year 10...'Consider if pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, no lacking anything," Buckner wrote in an Instagram caption on a Wednesday afternoon post, quoting bible verses James 1: 2-4. "Next season, I will be complete."
Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters the Friday ahead of the team's season-finale in Houston that Buckner had undergone successful surgery to repair his herniated disk that had led to a compressed nerve in his neck the defensive star suffered in a Week 9 road game in Pittsburgh. Buckner initially passed tests to return to the game after experiencing discomfort, and he managed to play a normal share of snaps. He would pass strength tests the day after the game, too. But on the following Wednesday, Buckner could hardly perform a pushup, the strength on the left side of his body so deteriorated.
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The Colts placed their starting defensive tackle on IR, and days later, Buckner had traveled to Panama for stem cell injections in an attempt to speed up the healing process. A couple weeks later, Buckner spoke to reporters and made clear his prospects to return to the field in 2025 were up in the air. He called the injury "very serious."
"It's definitely a heavy burden on myself and making that decision," Buckner said of weighing a potential return to the field this season. "I know what's at stake (for the team), but I also know what's at stake for me in my life, and so you've got things you've got to weigh."
A day later, Steichen told reporters that Buckner would return after five missed games to face the 49ers on Monday Night Football, as the Colts' playoff hopes hung in the balance. Buckner played 44 snaps, and though he wasn't nearly his fully menacing self, he was successful at times in applying pressure to San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy on a defense that otherwise was ineffective. In the locker room after the game, Buckner's teammates lauded him for his gutsy return, recognizing that he was risking a neck injury could have very real consequences.
"A neck injury, that can affect life outside of ball," Colts starting safety Cam Bynum said.
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In telling reporters that Buckner would soon undergo surgery, Steichen also said the Colts expected Buckner's procedure to be fully effective and that he'd be able to return next season -- though some doubts lingered, given Buckner's age and the increased frequency of missed games over the past two years. After missing two starts over his first eight seasons, Buckner has now lost 12 combined games to his neck injury and a high-ankle sprain in 2024.
What may come after 2026 seems undecided, but early in his latest rehab process, Buckner seems encouraged enough to begin rehabbing with an eye toward at least one more season on the field.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: DeForest Buckner indicates plan to return to Colts in 2026 despite neck injury
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