What Is DeForest Buckner's Timeline to Return from Neck Injury for Colts?

The Indianapolis Colts placed defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on injured reserve, putting him on the shelf until at least Week 15.

Per the team's official website, Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Buckner suffered a neck injury during Indy's 27-20 road loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend.

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Buckner will have to miss at least the Colts' next four games against the Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

His first chance to return will come on Dec. 14 when the Colts go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks.

The 31-year-old Buckner is in the midst of his sixth season with the Colts after spending his first four NFL seasons as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

Buckner originally signed a four-year, $84 million deal with the Colts in 2020 after getting traded there, and he later re-upped on a two-year, $46 million contract last year.

Two of Buckner's three career Pro Bowl nods and his only First Team All-Pro selection have come while with the Colts.

Buckner recorded 6.5 or more sacks in each of his first five seasons in Indianapolis, including last season when he had 6.5 sacks despite missing five games with an ankle injury.

Before last season, Buckner had missed only two games in his entire NFL career.

Buckner had been trending toward another season with 6.5 sacks or more before landing on IR, as he has recorded four sacks, 42 tackles and nine tackles for loss in nine games this year.

While the offense led by running back Jonathan Taylor and quarterback Daniel Jones has received much of the credit for Indy's success so far this season, the defense has also been sneaky good, ranking seventh in the league with only 20.1 points allowed per game.

Entering Week 10, the Colts owned the No. 1 seed in the AFC at 7-2, making them arguably the biggest surprise in the NFL this season.

They will look to continue their winning ways over the next month without arguably their best defensive player, which will likely require fellow starting defensive tackle Grover Stewart and backups Neville Gallimore and Adetomiwa Adebawore to step up.

However, even with Buckner out of the lineup, the Colts' pass defense could take a step forward following the shocking acquisition of two-time First Team All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets prior to Tuesday's trade deadline.

On Sunday morning, the Colts will face the Atlanta Falcons overseas at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.