Colts Star Travels to South America for Injury Treatment

Buckner visited the same place last year when he was recovering from a high ankle sprain.

Auragens, located in Panama City, uses stem cell treatments for athletes to support injury recovery and longevity. Fellow Colts star Jonathan Taylor has made the same journey in the past to help his own offseason recovery.

Auragens has plenty of NFL testimonials listed on their website. Some of the well-known names include cornerback Darius Slay, edge rusher Matthew Judon, and tight end Jeremy Shockey.

"All of our treatments are completely Non-Surgical and Non-Pharmaceutical, ensuring that athletes can experience the benefits of our therapy without the need for invasive procedures or medications," Auragen wrote on the "Sports Recovery" tab of their website. "Additionally, our procedures have minimal downtime, allowing athletes to quickly return to their training and competition without significant interruption."

"Minimal downtime" is exactly what Buckner needs if he wants to make a return this season. Buckner will miss the team's next three games, which include matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Buckner will be eligible to return from IR in Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks. He would then be able to play in Indy's final four games and the postseason.

That said, it's unclear what the timetable is. Buckner is in his 10th year, so one would imagine he wants to ensure it's safe to return to the field so that he doesn't risk any major injuries, especially in an area as vital as the neck.

Historically, Buckner rarely misses playing time. He missed five games last season due to his ankle sprain, and he'll miss at least four this year. Before that, Buckner had missed zero games from 2021 to 2023.

In nine starts this season, Buckner has racked up 4 sacks, 42 total tackles, a team high 9 tackles for loss, and 13 QB hits.

He's one of the best defensive linemen in all of football, and the Colts will sorely miss his presence on the interior over this next month.

In his absence, the play of guys like Grover Stewart, Adetomiwa Adebawore, and Neville Gallimore becomes all the more important. If they can imitate a fraction of the presence Buckner has, the Colts will be in safe hands for a few weeks.