EmailPrintINDIANAPOLIS -- DeForest Buckner had given so much of his life to football, but for the first time, he found himself wondering if the game might be taken away.The Indianapolis Colts' three-time Pro Bowl selection at defensive tackle, the heart and soul of the team's defense, sustained a neck injury last season that forced him to contemplate some weighty decisions.As in whether he wanted to continue playing football."I found myself in some deep, dark thoughts about what am I going to do?" Buckner said of the moment when doctors told him surgery would be required to rectify his issue.With a herniated disc in his neck pressing against a nerve, Buckner's left side was largely useless. He had reduced feeling and little strength. He'd already tried, in vain, to address the injury with rest and stem cell therapy at a clinic he'd previously used in Panama.Ultimately, Buckner grew comfortable with the daunting idea of neck surgery. But it was no slam dunk. He said reaching that decision required "talking with the people closest to me, just talking through all those emotions."Now, Buckner is several months into his rehab and is beginning to see progress. But he's still a long way from lining up on Sundays.And that's no small thing. Buckner, 32, is among the players the Colts are leaning on most as they look to bounce back from a frustrating, underwhelming end to the 2025 season with a defense that will be the youngest the team has fielded in years.The Colts wrapped up their offseason earlier this month without Buckner ever coming close to seeing the field during spring drills.It's been a slow recovery for Buckner, one that has required "a lot of patience," he said. He recently recalled the early days postsurgery, when he couldn't perform even basic tasks."The first couple of weeks, you can't really do much," he said. "I mean, I couldn't even pick up my own kids for a little bit. I couldn't pick up... anything heavier than 10 pounds. And that was for a while."Buckner said he resumed running in April and has been seeing steady progress. But whether he returns for the start of training camp in late July is very much up in the air. Buckner and the Colts have been consistent in saying the target is for him to return in time for the Sept. 13 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.But that's a goal, not a sure thing."What happened to him was difficult, but he's the hardest worker I know and he's putting all the time and effort in to get back on the field with his teammates," Colts coach Shane Steichen said. "Obviously, we'll be smart with the situation, monitor him through training camp. I know the goal is to be ready for Week 1, and so I know he's working that way and we'll see where it goes."When Buckner does return, he will rejoin a defense that looks much different than the one he played on last season. Core veterans such as linebacker Zaire Franklin, cornerback Kenny Moore II and Kwity Paye have departed, replaced by mostly a young group of rookies and second-year players.After playing in a Super Bowl in his final season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, Buckner hasn't experienced the playoffs with the Colts since 2020 -- the year he was traded to Indy. Still, he has stuck it out with the Colts despite having significant trade value in recent years and the Colts' willingness to accommodate him if he asked out. He even signed a contract extension in 2024.Buckner said it's just his nature to follow through on his commitments. It's the reason he tried to play hurt last season, returning for a single game in December after seeing some minor improvement with the neck injury but suffering a setback that resulted in the surgery.He'll earn $23 million this season, the final year of his contract. But given all it's cost him, he's hoping his efforts finally pay off on the field after dealing with injuries and a lack of team success."It would mean a lot to win here," Buckner said. "From Day 1 since I got here, this organization invested in me. And I'm going to do whatever I can to give back. And that's by my play and making sure that we get wins. And that's been my goal since I've been here."
