There was a stretch earlier this year when Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner could not lift anything heavier than 10 pounds. He could not pick up his own kids for a while. Before he could think about fighting through guards again, he had to get through the basic parts of normal life.
That is the real starting point for his 2026 comeback. Last season, a herniated disc in his neck pressed against a nerve and stripped strength and feeling from his left side. Buckner tried to rest. He has said he also tried stem cell therapy at a clinic in Panama. Neither solved the problem. Surgery became the next step.
Now the Colts are trying to get their 32-year-old defensive leader back for the Sept. 13 opener against Baltimore. He is running again, but he did not take part in spring drills. Week 1 is the target. It is not a promise.
Buckner’s Injury Changed The Colts’ Entire Defensive Picture
Buckner’s missing time shocks the system because he has spent most of his career answering the bell. For years, Indianapolis could build its defensive front around one safe assumption: Buckner would be in the middle, absorbing double teams, collapsing the pocket and making life easier for everyone around him.
That changed late last season. Buckner missed 7 of the Colts’ final 8 games after the neck issue took away the version of himself Indianapolis needed. He returned for 1 game after some minor improvement, but the setback that followed ended any real hope of pushing through it.
This is why the comeback cannot be treated like a normal camp update. A defensive tackle can play through a sore ankle or a bruised shoulder. A neck injury is different. Buckner has to trust his leverage, his hands, and his repaired body every time a 300-pound lineman leans on him.
The Colts do not just need a veteran name back on the depth chart. They need the real Buckner. Explosive. Violent with his hands. Strong through contact. Confident enough to play without protecting himself.
The Human Cost Came Before The Football Questions
Buckner has been direct about where his mind went when doctors told him surgery was needed. For a player who has given most of his adult life to football, the idea of losing the game hit hard.
“I found myself in some deep, dark thoughts about what am I going to do?” Buckner said.
That line matters because it cuts through the usual injury language. Players often talk about rehab in clean phrases: patience, process, and progress. Buckner’s situation was much rawer than that. He was not just thinking about when he could practice again. He was weighing whether football still made sense after a neck surgery that affected his strength, his home life, and his future.
The Colts have treated the situation carefully. Shane Steichen has made it clear that the goal is Week 1, but the team will monitor Buckner through training camp and avoid forcing the timeline. That is the only responsible path. You do not rush a spinal injury because the opener is circled on a calendar.
A Younger Defense Needs Its Oldest Standard Setter
The timing makes this harder for Indianapolis. Buckner is trying to return to a defense that looks very different from the one he left. Zaire Franklin is gone. Kenny Moore II is gone. Nick Cross is gone. Kwity Paye is gone. That is a lot of snaps, leadership, and familiarity ripped out of one unit.
The Colts still have talent, but they are asking younger players to grow fast. That is exactly when a player like Buckner matters most. When healthy, he eats double teams and gives the rest of the front cleaner chances to win. He also sets the standard in the room. Young linemen learn faster when the best player on the field is also the one showing them how to prepare.
The financial stakes only add to that pressure. Buckner is owed $23 million in cash this season and carries a $26.6 million cap charge, which puts his comeback squarely in the middle of the Colts’ roster plan. Indianapolis is paying him like a cornerstone because that is what he has been.
His value now depends on whether he can still be that player after surgery.
Indianapolis Colts’ DeForest Buckner Talks Return from Neck Surgery
Week 1 Is The Target, Not The Finish Line
The Ravens opener gives Buckner and the Colts a clear date to chase, but the bigger question will stretch beyond 1 Sunday. Can he handle full contact and play starter snaps? Or generate the same power from his left side? Can he finish games without the injury becoming the story again?
Those answers will define training camp. They may also define the early part of the Colts’ season.
Buckner has already shown the commitment. He signed an extension in 2024, stayed with a franchise that has not reached the playoffs since 2020, and made clear that winning in Indianapolis still matters to him. That loyalty now meets the hardest test of his Colts career.
Indianapolis does not need a ceremonial return. It needs proof. Proof that Buckner can still control the middle, that his repaired neck can hold up through the weekly violence of the NFL. Proof that the defense still has a true anchor while the rest of the unit resets around him.
That is what makes this comeback so important. It is not a feel-good camp storyline. It is a season-shaping test for the Colts and for the veteran trying to prove his body can still survive the trench.
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FAQs
What injury did DeForest Buckner have?
DeForest Buckner had a herniated disc in his neck that pressed against a nerve and affected strength and feeling on his left side.
Will DeForest Buckner play in Week 1?
Buckner is targeting the Colts’ Week 1 game against Baltimore, but the article makes clear that date is a goal, not a guarantee.
Why is DeForest Buckner so important to the Colts?
Buckner anchors the defensive line. When healthy, he draws double teams, collapses pockets and helps younger defenders settle into bigger roles.
Did DeForest Buckner have surgery?
Yes. Buckner had neck surgery after rest and stem cell therapy did not solve the issue.
Why does Buckner’s comeback matter for 2026?
The Colts are resetting their defense. Buckner’s health could shape their pass rush, leadership and early season stability.
