October 27, 2026, 9:16 p.m. ET
The San Francisco 49ers have strengthened their squadbringing defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to a trade Tuesday with the Indianapolis Colts for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
The Niners selected Buckner with the No. 7 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Oregon. He spent the first three years of his career in San Francisco, where he became a Pro Bowl and All-Pro lineman and helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl 54.
However, a month after that 31-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game, where Buckner made six tackles and sacked Patrick Mahomes 1.5 times, he was traded to the Colts for a first-round draft pick. He signed a four-year contract extension with Indianapolis in 2020, then added a two-year extension through 2026.
Buckner continued to make a name for himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the league with the Colts. He earned two additional Pro Bowl selections and was regularly named one of the top 100 players. The 32-year-old is in the final year of his contract and finds San Francisco hungry, healthy and with plenty of gas in the tank.
Buckner has 678 career total tackles, 75.5 sacks with nine forced fumbles, 11 recoveries and has scored twice in his career, once with San Francisco in 2019 and again with the Colts in 2023. He has 30 career pass deflections.
After his last stint ended in a Super Bowl loss, he has unfinished business with the 49ers.
What the DeForest Buckner trade does for the 49ers defense
Buckner is no longer the young man. He returns to the 49ers as a productive veteran who can add experience, depth and another punch to a defensive line that has seen its share of injuries. Buckner has recorded 24 total tackles in five games in 2026, including four for loss, one fumble recovery and two pass deflections.
The 49ers needed to act, as they suffered six injuries on the D-line, including Nick Bosa, Alfred Collins, CJ West, Sam Okuayinonu, Mikail Kamara and Andrew Farmer II. Mykel Williams was injured early in the season, but made his debut in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks after recovering from an ACL injury.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan stressed the need to address the defensive line as injuries continued to pile up, but he remained confident that general manager John Lynch and the 49ers front office would make a play happen. They delivered.
“These are things, I know (president of football operations and general manager) John (Lynch) and our entire personnel department have been discussing these seven days a week for a long time right now,” Shanahan told reporters Monday. “If there are things that make sense that can improve our team at any spot, we’d like to see that happen. The obvious hurt spots for us have been receiver and the D-line. We get a number of those guys back at both positions, but that also doesn’t stop us from looking for something that would make sense to help us.”
The addition of Buckner gives another look to the 49ers defensive line, as they can rotate him alongside Osa Odighizuwa, Keion White, Sebastian Valdez, and rookies Romello Height and Gracen Halton.
The Niners ranks fourth in total defense, allowing just under 300 yards per game (299.3) and just 89 rushing yards per game, the fifth fewest.
After their first loss of the season, a 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the defense contained Bijan Robinson on the ground. He rushed for 63 yards on 20 carries, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. He made most of his impact as a receiver, catching all five of his targets for 59 yards. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 25 of 34 passes for 213 yards and threw three touchdowns.
The 49ers couldn’t reach Penix, recording zero sacks and zero QB hits. He was never in a hurry.
Consistent pressure and pass rush are areas the Niners have been lacking, and they hope Buckner can spark improvement. The Niners rank 20th in quarterback sacks, with the defense recording 15 total.
“I didn’t think we played as well as we did the last few weeks, just to beat one-on-one and get there. I think those stats were accurate when you watch the film,” Shanahan said. “The pressure wasn’t as good as it was, so we have to play better next week.”
Super Bowl 54 team reforms
There’s a saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and the Niners take that literally. They’re getting their Super Bowl squad back together. It’s like when your favorite band has to reunite its original members for a grand finale tour. That’s what it feels like in Santa Clara.
Buckner was initially traded, likely for contractual reasons, not because of his play. He helped them get to the Super Bowl, along with other pieces of that 2019 team.
He joins the 49ers alongside other veterans from the Super Bowl LIV team, including tight end George Kittle, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., defensive end Nick Bosa and linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
Buckner joins the list of former 49ers returning to the Bay, including players from their 2019 NFC championship team, such as Greenlaw and Samuel, who both returned to San Francisco during the offseason.
The 49ers are 6-1 entering the bye week. They currently have the best odds to win Super Bowl 61, according to BetMGM.
However, injuries have derailed them in the past and they plan to use this time to rest and recover. In the meantime, Buckner will surely reacclimate to the team, especially under defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
“We won’t get the players back until next Monday,” Shanahan said. “We just spent the whole day with them today, we just finished here a little while ago. Tomorrow they’ll come in, they’ll do all the workouts and stuff like that, do a little drill on the field, have a meeting and then we’ll be done with them. Then we’ll come back Monday, ready to go.”
The 49ers will host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9 when they return from bye.
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