Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner acknowledged there were moments when his neck injury made him consider walking away from football altogether.
Speaking with reporters ahead of the Colts’ Week 1 opener, Buckner explained why he ultimately chose to continue his NFL career after a difficult recovery.
“I had moments of thinking of hanging up the cleats and everything like that, but that’s just not how things roll in the Buckner household,” Buckner said, via WISH-TV’s Sept. 10 post.
"I had moments of thinking of hanging up the cleats and everything like that, but that's just not how things roll in the Buckner household."#Colts DT DeForest Buckner shared why he decided to return to the team this season after recovering from a neck
injury: pic.twitter.com/qlHFvh1MR4
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) September 10, 2026
Buckner suffered a herniated disc in his neck against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 last season. He later revealed he temporarily lost feeling in his upper body and eventually underwent a season-ending procedure after attempting a late-season comeback.
The severity of the injury forced the veteran to weigh his long-term health against continuing his career. Buckner said in April that he went through “deep, dark thoughts” while making that decision, but ended up reaching a point where he wanted to return.
His rehabilitation persisted throughout the offseason, with Indianapolis gradually increasing his practice workload during training camp.
By August, Buckner said his neck was responding well as he worked toward being ready for Week 1.
Now, the longtime defensive stalwart has made it back for more — after seriously considering whether he would gear up for his 11th campaign.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Why Colts DeForest Buckner returned for another season
