Shortly after it was reported that DeForest Buckner had signed a two-year extension with the team, the Colts made the move official, announcing it on the team site.

Along with that news, GM Chris Ballard shared what it meant to have Buckner under contract through the 2026 season:

“DeForest has been the epitome of what it means to be a Colt the last four years,” general manager Chris Ballard said. “As one of the premier defensive tackles in the league, he is a destructive force on our defensive line. DeForest is one of the pillars of our locker room. His hard work, consistency and approach to the game are vital to the success of our team. We are fortunate to have DeForest and the caliber of man he is representing our organization. I’m excited for him and his family on this much deserved contract extension.”

Prior to the extension, Buckner was entering the final year of his current contract.

Since joining the Colts, as Ballard mentions, Buckner has been a disruptive force in the middle of the defense. Since 2020, when Buckner joined the Colts after spending his first four seasons in San Francisco, he has recorded over 200 pressures, averaging almost 54 per season, and totaled 37 sacks, according to PFF.

Last season specifically, Buckner continued to be one of the more disruptive interior defenders in football and doing so against both the run and the pass. His 52 pressures ranked 14th, while he also tied for seventh in pass rush win rate and was 11th in PFF’s run stop rate metric as well.

In addition to what Buckner brings to this Colts’ team on the field, as Ballard mentions, he is also an asset to the organization off it as well.

When a defense has a really good interior defender, there isn’t a player on the field who doesn’t benefit. The attention that Buckner draws can lead to opportunities for others along the defensive front along with keeping the linebackers clean to make plays.

A strong push from up the middle is the best way to slow any offensive play, which on passing plays can result in less time that the secondary has to be in coverage, in addition to creating turnover opportunities from hurried and off-target throws from the quarterback when under duress.

Buckner and the Colts agreed to a two-year extension worth $46 million. As of now, we do not know the salary cap impact that this new deal will have.