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Colts Trade DeForest Buckner Back to 49ers for 2027 Fourth-Round Pick
· Confirmed
In Short: The Colts received a 2027 fourth-round pick from the 49ers in exchange for Buckner.
The Indianapolis Colts traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, the team announced. The trade reunites Buckner with the 49ers, who originally drafted him in 2016.
Buckner, 32, is returning to San Francisco after spending four seasons with the Colts, where he started all seven games this season and recorded 31 tackles, four sacks, and 20 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Colts received a 2027 fourth-round pick from the 49ers in exchange for Buckner. The 49ers will also cover the remaining $7.944 million on Buckner’s expiring contract.
Buckner’s return to the 49ers is part of a larger restructuring of the Colts’ roster. Earlier in the day, the Colts traded guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks, receiving a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick in return.
The Colts, currently at 2-5, are reportedly selling off assets ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. This move has cleared over $17.7 million in salary cap space and added three draft picks to their arsenal.
Buckner’s trade back to the 49ers reunites him with a defense that includes defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, defensive end Mykel Williams, linebacker Fred Warner, and defensive end Nick Bosa, who has missed multiple games due to injury.
Buckner’s return to the 49ers is significant, as he was a key part of the team’s rebuild under coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, helping the 49ers reach the Super Bowl in the 2019 season.
Buckner, a three-time Pro Bowler, has amassed 420 tackles and 47 sacks over his six seasons with the Colts, starting in 153 of the 158 games he has played.
The trade also marks the end of Buckner’s tenure with the Colts, who had previously traded him from the 49ers in 2020. General manager John Lynch has called that trade the most difficult decision of his 10-year tenure.
Buckner’s return to the 49ers is expected to bolster their defensive line, which has struggled with injuries this season. He joins a unit that includes Odighizuwa, Williams, Warner, and Bosa.
The Colts’ decision to trade Buckner has not been met with universal approval. One frustrated fan commented, 'I don't know. How about you guess. I'm frustrated. Same thing. We lost.'
With Buckner’s return to the 49ers, the team now has a formidable defensive tackle to pair with their existing defensive lineup, potentially strengthening their chances in the upcoming NFL season.
What this adds
The trade reunites Buckner with the 49ers, who originally drafted him in 2016. He spent four seasons with the Colts before returning to San Francisco.
What's confirmed
- The Indianapolis Colts traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, the team announced.
- If the Colts kept Buckner and he signed with another team this offseason, the highest compensatory draft pick they could've received for him was a fifth-rounder.
- (Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK) Buckner is returning to the same team that drafted him in 2016 and he played for until through 2019 before he arrived in Indianapolis in time for the 2020 season.
What's still developing
- According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Buckner is heading to San Francisco, reuniting him with the 49ers, who selected him in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
- Defensive lineman Grover Stewart, running back Jonathan Taylor, and wide receiver Josh Downs are other names to monitor.
- Buckner is one of four players with at least 75 sacks and 25 batted passes since he entered the league in 2016, joining T.J.
- Buckner, 32, is entering the final year of his deal with the Colts and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
- Buckner spent the first four years of his career in San Francisco after the 49ers selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft.
- Buckner has earned three Pro Bowl nominations and one first-team All-Pro nod during his career.
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- They fired their general manager, Chris Ballard, and, with the changes, rumors surfaced that they would be part of a major trade as they turn to new management.