Update: DeForest Buckner has been able to practice this week after the Colts opened up his 21-day window off injured reserve, although his full status for Monday against the 49ers isn't yet known.
One can be assured Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and cornerback Charvarius Ward both circled Week 16's Monday Night Football matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on their respective calendars when the 2025 regular-season schedule was announced last spring.
Unfortunately for both, it seems as if they'll be denied the chance at getting some revenge against their former employer.
Ward is guaranteed to miss the contest after suffering his third concussion of the season after inking a lucrative free-agent deal to join Indy. The latest injury landed him on injured reserve in what's been a disappointing season after his three-year tenure in the Bay Area.
As for revenge, Ward acknowledged he "felt disrespected" by the retention offer the Niners gave him to stay last offseason, although he doesn't harbor any grudges now. But, he certainly would have been motivated to prove to San Francisco it was a mistake to let him walk.
Buckner, meanwhile, has been dealing with a neck injury that also landed him on IR. He could have been eligible to return in Week 15, but the issue isn't going away.
All signs point to him, too, missing the primetime Monday night showdown at Lucas Oil Stadium.
49ers still have to be missing DeForest Buckner after all these years
Buckner's departure from the 49ers is far more painful than that of Ward's, sure. For those who forgot, the Niners opted to trade him to Indy in 2020 instead of handing him a well-deserved extension.
Since, San Francisco has tried (and mostly failed) to replicate both Buckner's presence and production with names like Javon Hargrave, Javon Kinlaw and others, now pinning its hopes on 2025 rookie Alfred Collins to eventually have a Buckner-like impact.
The 49ers' top pick from the 2016 NFL Draft ironically called out his former squad for handing Hargrave the same kind of free-agent money he was originally seeking when it came time for extension talks, making Niners fans wonder "what if?" Buckner had ultimately been retained.
Of course, the three-time Pro Bowler already enacted revenge upon San Francisco back when the Colts last faced the 49ers back in 2021, sacking then-quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo late in the affair to ensure the victory.
The Niners hope a similar fate doesn't await them when they square off against Indy on Monday night.