Colts' DeForest Buckner Lands New Contract Rumored at $46M; Latest Salary Cap Info

DeForest Buckner became the newest defensive tackle to get a sizable payout this offseason.

The Indianapolis Cots announced Monday they signed Buckner to an extension.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the three-time Pro Bowler will get $46 million over two years. His new deal continues the upward trajectory for the interior defender market.

Buckner, who was entering the last year of his contract, referenced earlier this month how many of his peers were being rewarded for their services:

The annual breakdown of Buckner's extension is unclear. Spotrac projects the Colts to have $76.2 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season, so they may backload the contract a bit to maintain as much flexibility as they can for next season.

As part of the agreement, it's also possible Indianapolis lowered his salary cap burden for the upcoming campaign. His $22.8 million hit is the second-highest on the team behind offensive guard Quenton Nelson ($25.2 million). The Colts are comfortably under the cap ($14.6 million) but might prefer to have more cash available ahead of the draft.

Buckner is coming off another productive year. He had eight sacks and 21 pressures on the quarterback in 17 games.

In the opening week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the 2016 first-round pick scored the second touchdown of his career. He knocked the ball out of the hand of Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence and had the presence of mind, with some players believing the play was over, to scoop up the fumble and return it for six points.

Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson ranked Buckner as the 62nd-best player in 2023.

"Buckner recorded 52 quarterback pressures for the Colts this past season and posted an 81.8 PFF overall grade," Monson wrote. "He made 43 defensive stops and forced two fumbles as one of the most destructive interior pass rushers in the game."

There's no question Buckner earned a raise and the state of the tackle market gave the Colts an incentive to preempt his free agency in 2025. Re-signing him next offseason might have been even more expensive since other suitors could've entered the fray.

The two-year term also works nicely for both parties. Indianapolis isn't tied down long term to a player entering his 30s, while Buckner will have an opportunity to get at least one more big contract in 2027 or a little before that if he continues to perform well on the field.