DeForest Buckner has develop into the newest defensive tackle to learn from the position’s surging market. The three-time Pro Bowler agreed to a two-year, $46MM extension on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.
The past two offseasons has seen a lot of defensive tackle contributors land lucrative recent deals, especially ascending players on the position securing second contracts. That doesn’t apply in Buckner’s case, however the 30-year-old has been as advertised during his time in Indianapolis. In 4 years since Buckner was acquired via trade, he has racked up 32.5 sacks and (within the 2020 campaign) his lone profession first-team All-Pro nod.
One 12 months remained on the previous 49er’s existing deal – a four-year, $84 pact signed upon arrival in Indianapolis – and he was set to hold a 2024 cap hit of $22.75MM. Schefter’s colleague Stephen Holder notes that figure could change with Buckner now on the books through 2026, but he adds the Colts rarely elect to backload extensions similar to this one. In any case, he’ll carry the same cost for the subsequent two seasons ($23MM AAV) in comparison with his current pact.
Buckner has missed only one game during his Colts run, and he has remained a consistent producer during his time with the team. He has made between 58 and 81 tackles each season with Indianapolis, with the latter figure (posted in 2023) representing a profession high. The previous first-rounder has added between 21 and 26 QB hits annually in that span, and he will probably be expected to stay a top producer on the Colts’ defense for the intermediate future with this recent deal now in hand.
Indianapolis has been busy this offseason with respect to retaining key players on either side of the ball. That has included recent deals for the likes of cornerback Kenny Moore and safety Julian Blackmon, together with an extension for linebacker Zaire Franklin. On offense, wideout Michael Pittman Jr. saw his time attached to a franchise tag come to an end once a three-year, $70MM deal was worked out.
Along the defensive position, the Colts have also elected to return much of the core which was in place last 12 months. Grover Stewart and Tyquan Lewis each signed recent deals in March, and the previous is on the books for the subsequent three years while the latter is in place for the subsequent two. Stewart specifically has been a key figure within the Colts’ defensive interior, serving as a full-time starter for every of the past five years. His partnership alongside Buckner is now set to proceed beyond 2024.
Buckner entered Monday ranked eleventh within the league when it comes to annual average compensation amongst defensive tackles. Seeing a slight bump in that regard will move him back into the highest 10 with this pact, one which ensures he’ll remain a point of interest of Indianapolis’ front seven for at the least the subsequent few years.
