The 49ers are returning former first-round pick DeForest Buckner, according to multiple reports.
San Francisco brings the defensive tackle back to the Bay Area in a trade with the Colts, sending a 2027 fourth-round pick to Indianapolis to land Buckner. NFL insiders Jordan Schultz, Ringer’s Tom Pelissero, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport all broke the news of the trade around the same time.
Buckner was originally drafted by the 49ers with the 7th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. A stalwart forward, he was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and a second-team All-Pro in 2019, the first year the 49ers went to the Super Bowl under the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch regime. But with Buckner about to enter the final year of his rookie contract and expecting a sizable salary, the 49ers instead traded him to the Colts for the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Buckner got an extension from Indy that paid him $21 million per year. The Niners used the first round to try to draft his replacement in Javon Kinlaw. But while Buckner continued to shine for the Colts, Kinlaw was never able to match his production with that of the 49ers and became a focal point of ridicule for his disappointing play. Kinlaw was allowed to leave in free agency after his rookie contract expired and currently plays for the Commanders.
The move comes just hours after the Colts dealt perennial All-Pro safety Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks, San Francisco’s division rival. In what is clearly a fire sale in Indianapolis, the 49ers made sure to swoop in and bring back Buckner while paying less than Seattle did for Nelson (the Hawks sent the Colts a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, according to reports).
There are conflicting reports on what this means for the 49ers’ cap space. According to Pelissero, the 49ers will pay the entire nearly $8 million remaining on Buckner’s contract, which expires after this season. But Rapoport reported that the Colts would recoup some of the salary owed to Buckner as part of the trade.
Either way, Buckner is coming back and the move has already been celebrated by George Kittle, one of the longest-tenured 49ers, who actually played with Buckner when he was in red and gold.
The 49ers acquired Buckner early in their bye week, so he won’t be back in a 49ers uniform until Nov. 8, when the 49ers host the Raiders at 1:25 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium.
This breaking news has been updated.
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