The Indianapolis Colts will spend the next month without one of their best defenders.
DeForest Buckner was placed on injured reserve Friday due to a neck injury, coach Shane Steichen announced.
Buckner suffered the neck injury in Indianapolis' Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Steichen revealed, and did not provide a timetable for Buckner's return.
"Hopefully, we'll get him back," Steichen said, via The Athletic's Josh Kendall, adding the Colts are intent on being careful with Buckner's health following the injury.
Buckner's IR placement means he'll miss the Colts' next four games -- a total that spans five weeks due to Indianapolis' Week 11 bye -- before he can be designated to return to action. Those games include Sunday's date with the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, followed by contests at Kansas City (Week 12) and Jacksonville (Week 14), which bookend a home date with the AFC South rival Houston Texans in Week 13.
In a best-case scenario, the Colts could welcome Buckner back in time for their Week 15 trip to Seattle. Judging by Steichen's tone, however, that could be wishful thinking.
Oklahoma product Neville Gallimore will take Buckner's place in the starting lineup alongside veteran Grover Stewart, with Adetomiwa Adebawore listed behind them on the depth chart in what suddenly appears to be a thin position group.
At 7-2, the Colts have earned a bit of breathing room to weather such an absence. We'll see how they attempt to replace Buckner's production (42 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 13 quarterback hits) over the next month.
