Colts' Gus Bradley Dishes Strong Statement on DeForest Buckner

The Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle has continued as a force to be reckoned with.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) walks the field Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, before a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston / Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

After 15 weeks of NFL football, it's safe to say it's been an up-and-down season for the Indianapolis Colts and their defensive unit.

Indy's rushing defense ranks towards the bottom of the league in most key metrics. Through the air, the Colts have managed to haul in a few picks as they rank top ten for teams around the league but still place in the bottom half for passing yards and touchdowns allowed.

As a whole, Indianapolis ranks 21st in scoring defense and 28th for total yards allowed, so it hasn't been pretty.

Despite the rocky campaign on defense, the Colts have still managed to have a solidified star on that side of the ball both on the field and in the locker room-- nine-year veteran DeForest Buckner. And that was abundantly clear when hearing DC Gus Bradley's comments following the results of the Denver Broncos game.

During his Tuesday media availability, Bradley sounded off on some of the traits he's seen from Buckner in their showing vs. the Broncos, as well as throughout his age-30 season in Indianapolis:

"He's disruptive," Bradley said describing Buckner. "You can see [defenses] turn the protection to him at times. So I mean, he gets a lot of attention by offensive teams. I mean, the consistency that he brings. He's our guy that will say, ‘Hey, we need to talk as a team or as a unit and make sure we're all on the same page.’ He handles it on the sideline. He takes accountability. I mean, he had a play where he messed up in the game, I came over to him and he said it was completely on him. He's got that humility – so many attributes. He's one of the strongest leaders on our whole team regardless of just defense.”

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Buckner has had another solid season with the Colts, posting 6.5 sacks 47 combined tackles, and seven TFLs through nine games. He's been especially productive in the last three-game stretch for Indianapolis, securing one sack in each.

The only sack of the game for the #Colts. DeForest Buckner comes off the stunt, rips under the center, and gets home on third down to end the drive. pic.twitter.com/lEvU5AbthQ

— Cody Manning (@CodyTalksNFL) December 17, 2024

Of course, the defensive metrics don't fall in his favor, especially in rushing categories. Still, Buckner's role as a leader for that side of the ball and the attention he generates from opposing defenses is hard to ignore.

Buckner and the Colts defense will have an opportunity to build off a relatively positive performance against Denver during their next game on Sunday, as they'll return to Lucas Oil Stadium facing the 3-11 Tennessee Titans. As Buckner missed five games earlier in the year due to injury, this will be his first meeting against the divisional foe this season.

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