Buckner put on IR as struggling Colts D takes hit

INDIANAPOLIS — The winless Colts placed Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on injured reserve Tuesday with a right high ankle sprain, the team announced.

The news is a blow to a reeling Colts defense that has been bombarded by opponents’ rushing attacks through two games, allowing a league-worst 474 rushing yards to the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers.

Buckner will miss a minimum of four games, easily the longest absence of his impressive career. The nine-year veteran has missed just one game to injury in his career. That came in 2016, his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers. Since then, he’s been one of the most durable players in the NFL.

Buckner’s presence will be missed. Since 2018, only two interior defensive linemen in the league — Aaron Donald and Chris Jones — have more than Buckner’s 53.5 sacks. Buckner also has one of the highest snap counts among defensive tackles. He has played 73.5% of the Colts’ defensive snaps since joining the team in a trade in 2020.

“He means a great deal to us,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said Tuesday. “He’s a strong presence in that D-line room, and not only [with] the D-line but the whole defense. 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 Colts also lost 2023 sack leader Samson Ebukam to an Achilles injury in training camp. He’s likely to miss the entire season.