DeForest Buckner is heading back to San Francisco.
According to The Ringer and Netflix's Tom Pelissero, the Indianapolis Colts are trading the former Oregon defensive tackle to the 49ers, with Indianapolis set to receive a fourth-round pick in the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft. The move sends Buckner back to the franchise that made him the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Buckner spent his first four NFL seasons in the Bay Area before the 49ers dealt him to Indianapolis in 2020 for a first-round pick in that year’s draft. He made an immediate impact with the Colts, earning All-Pro first-team honors in his first season there after already establishing himself as a Pro Bowl and All-Pro defender.
Now the reunion comes with San Francisco sitting at 6-1 and positioned for a run at a Super Bowl, while the Colts are headed toward another lost season. Buckner is in his 11th season and is on track to hit free agency for the first time after this year, after previously signing major extensions with Indianapolis.
Even in seven games this season, Buckner has put together a strong line: 31 tackles, four tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, four sacks, three pass deflections and one fumble recovery. Over his career, he has 75.5 sacks.
Buckner’s Oregon résumé was just as impressive. He was part of the Ducks’ 2014 national championship run and finished his college career in 2015 with Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
That season, he posted 83 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He left Oregon with 18.0 sacks, 35.5 tackles for loss and 109 tackles.
For the 49ers, Buckner gives them a veteran presence in the middle of their defensive line and a chance to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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