DeForest Buckner (neck) was once again a full participant in practice on Friday ahead of the Colts' Monday night matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Friday marked the defensive tackle's second consecutive full practice as he continues to get closer to returning to the field.
"It's definitely getting better for sure," Buckner said Friday. "We're just taking it one day at a time, seeing how practice goes each and every day."
Buckner was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury prior to the Colts' Week 10 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He returned to practice last week and was a limited participant in all three Week 15 practices but did not play in the Colts' game against the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. Buckner's injury, which he sustained during the Colts' Week 9 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, was revealed to be a herniated disk in his neck that was pressing on a nerve. He avoided needing surgery – traveling to Panama for stem cell treatment instead – and eventually began feeling better and regaining the strength that he'd lost.
Buckner has been present on the sidelines of every Colts game with the exception of that Week 10 game in Berlin, acting as a coach and cheerleader for his teammates. But he's also had to work through the frustration of seeing his team go on a four-game losing streak while knowing he could be making a difference on the field.
"Obviously the competitor I am, and what I know I can give to the team, I feel like in certain situations and a lot of those games, I feel like – I mean personally, could have made some type of impact to try and change the outcome of the game," he said. "But I mean, it is what it is. And I know the guys are – they've been busting their tails off each and every game. We've been close in a bunch of them, and we just got to find ways to finish."
Two days of full participation in practice is certainly an encouraging sign, and Buckner is doing everything he can to get back on the field, but he's also making sure to take things day by day and not get ahead of himself.
"It's one of those injures that's very serious, and it's definitely a heavy burden on myself on making a decision," Buckner said. "Obviously, I know what's at stake, but I also know what's at stake for me long-term in my life. You got things you got to weigh, and like I said before, I'm going to go through this week of practice and we'll see how it goes."
Buckner still needs to be activated from injured reserve in order to play in Monday's game against the 49ers.
