The Indianapolis Colts' defensive front was dealt a devastating blow recently when it was discovered that star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is dealing with an injury.
Buckner, who had yet to miss a game this season, was added to the injury report on Wednesday with a neck issue and did not practice at all before being ruled out for Sunday's overseas contest against the Atlanta Falcons.
After that, Buckner was then placed on injured reserve, which means he's going to miss at least the next four games.
Losing Buckner is a blow to Indy's pass-rush and run defense, as the veteran is one of the better interior defensive linemen in the NFL in both areas.
Here's what we know about his possible return timeline moving forward.
When is DeForest Buckner coming back?
Buckner's placement on injured reserve means he has to miss at least four games. Since he was placed on the list before the Week 10 game, that counts toward the minimally-required IR stay.
Knowing that, Buckner won't be eligible to return until Week 15, as the Colts' Week 11 bye doesn't count toward the four-game minimum.
That said, there hasn't been any indication that Buckner will be ready to roll as soon as he's eligible, so it remains possible he's out for longer than that.
Indianapolis will have to designate Buckner to return first, and then his activation from IR will be the final step for his return to the field.
With Buckner sidelined, the Colts will rely more on Neville Gallimore, and Eric Johnson should get some run, too.
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