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INDIANAPOLIS — The backbone of the Colts defense is on the mend.
Veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is rehabilitating his neck, eyeing a healthy return for the start of training camp, after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disc that was pressing on a nerve, Colts GM Chris Ballard said.
But one of the team’s unquestioned leaders is on his way back, confirming what Buckner wrote in an Instagram post shortly after the end of the season.
“I’m not going to put a time frame on it,” Ballard said. “We’re expecting him back for training camp. The way he works, who he is, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s sooner. He’ll be back, he’ll be ready to go, and I think he’ll have a good year.”
Buckner, now 31, openly and publicly talked about the difficulty of dealing with a neck injury, noting the possibility of an injury that could affect him the rest of his life.
Undergoing surgery helped.
Buckner felt an instant sense of relief after the surgery, according to Ballard, both a sense of relief from the pain and from the realization that he’d be able to play football again.
“I think it was some relief for Buck when he got it done,” Ballard said. “I mean, he’s had injuries in his career, but really, it was the first time that he had one that was pretty serious.”
A healthy Buckner changes the Indianapolis defense.
Buckner recorded 47 tackles and four sacks in 10 games, but those numbers don’t tell the full story of his impact. Buckner finished second on the roster with 13 quarterback hits despite playing just 10 games, and he was fourth with 34 pressures, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
The Indianapolis pass rush cratered without him.
The Colts piled up 26 sacks in the first half of the season, the eight games Indianapolis played with a relatively healthy Buckner. Indianapolis recorded just 13 sacks in the final nine games, unable to generate the same kind of pressure without the kind of pass-rushing force that forces an opponent to change its game plans around to stop him.
Ballard acknowledged Tuesday that Indianapolis needs to overhaul a defensive end position that has three players — Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis and Samson Ebukam — headed to free agency.
If the Colts are going to make a splash on the defensive line this offseason, it will likely be on the edge; Indianapolis believes they have good depth behind Buckner if he’s forced to miss time again.
“One of the things that got lost, (Adetomiwa Adebawore) played really well inside for us,” Ballard said. “He’s going to keep getting better.”
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 injury update: Colts DT expected back for training camp
Continue reading...
Veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is rehabilitating his neck, eyeing a healthy return for the start of training camp, after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disc that was pressing on a nerve, Colts GM Chris Ballard said.
But one of the team’s unquestioned leaders is on his way back, confirming what Buckner wrote in an Instagram post shortly after the end of the season.
“I’m not going to put a time frame on it,” Ballard said. “We’re expecting him back for training camp. The way he works, who he is, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s sooner. He’ll be back, he’ll be ready to go, and I think he’ll have a good year.”
Buckner, now 31, openly and publicly talked about the difficulty of dealing with a neck injury, noting the possibility of an injury that could affect him the rest of his life.
Undergoing surgery helped.
Buckner felt an instant sense of relief after the surgery, according to Ballard, both a sense of relief from the pain and from the realization that he’d be able to play football again.
“I think it was some relief for Buck when he got it done,” Ballard said. “I mean, he’s had injuries in his career, but really, it was the first time that he had one that was pretty serious.”
A healthy Buckner changes the Indianapolis defense.
Buckner recorded 47 tackles and four sacks in 10 games, but those numbers don’t tell the full story of his impact. Buckner finished second on the roster with 13 quarterback hits despite playing just 10 games, and he was fourth with 34 pressures, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
The Indianapolis pass rush cratered without him.
The Colts piled up 26 sacks in the first half of the season, the eight games Indianapolis played with a relatively healthy Buckner. Indianapolis recorded just 13 sacks in the final nine games, unable to generate the same kind of pressure without the kind of pass-rushing force that forces an opponent to change its game plans around to stop him.
Ballard acknowledged Tuesday that Indianapolis needs to overhaul a defensive end position that has three players — Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis and Samson Ebukam — headed to free agency.
If the Colts are going to make a splash on the defensive line this offseason, it will likely be on the edge; Indianapolis believes they have good depth behind Buckner if he’s forced to miss time again.
“One of the things that got lost, (Adetomiwa Adebawore) played really well inside for us,” Ballard said. “He’s going to keep getting better.”
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 injury update: Colts DT expected back for training camp
Continue reading...
