DeForest Buckner is returning to the San Francisco 49ers after the Indianapolis Colts agreed to trade the veteran defensive tackle in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, marking a reunion six years after their initial blockbuster deal. The trade won’t become official until Buckner passes a physical.
The trade brings the 32-year-old Pro Bowler back to the franchise that drafted him seventh overall in 2016. Buckner joins a 6-1 San Francisco squad pursuing a championship while the Colts dismantle their roster following a 2-5 start and the firing of general manager Chris Ballard. Buckner previously spent his first four seasons in the league in San Francisco, where he helped the club advance to Super Bowl LIV to cap the 2019 season. During his first tenure with the club, he registered 12.0 sacks in 2018 and 7.5 sacks in 2019. In March 2020, San Francisco traded him to Indianapolis in exchange for a first-round choice before he was due a lucrative contract extension, a move general manager John Lynch termed the toughest thing he had done in his first three-plus years on the job due to a salary cap crunch.
Why the Colts Started Their Fire Sale in Indianapolis
Ballard had shorted the reserve of draft capital to go all in last year, and absent a first-round pick in 2027 after trading it to the New York Jets, the franchise is now stocking up on picks. Hours before dealing Buckner, the Colts sent perennial All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2027 third-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-round selection. The trades also netted the Colts a 2027 third- and fourth-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder overall as the team seems poised to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year, having last reached the postseason in 2020.
Reunion! The Colts are trading three-time Pro Bowl DL DeForest Buckner to the 49ers for a 2027 fourth-round pick, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports.Buckner came to San Francisco as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016. A decade later, he’s back. pic.twitter.com/glOiRBXldq
Buckner had grown visibly frustrated with the team’s struggles during a 2-5 start that included three straight losses, culminating in a defeat against the previously winless Tennessee Titans and a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
I don’t know. How about you guess. I’m frustrated. Same thing. We lost.
DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle
With ample spending room at their disposal, the 49ers had more than enough spending room to bring him back, and the Colts are splitting the remaining 2026 salary cost to help push the deal across the finish line.
Sources: The #Colts are also actively shopping DT DeForest Buckner. I expect him to be moved soon if the right offer comes in. https://t.co/U36PCN9an3
How San Francisco Rebuilt Its Defenses Around a Familiar Face
San Francisco general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have a history of investing heavily in defensive linemen, having made a trade-deadline deal for a defensive lineman in each of the past four years, including Keion White in 2025, Khalil Davis in 2024, and Chase Young in 2023, alongside prior deals for Jordan Willis, Charles Omenihu, and Randy Gregory. Lynch and Shanahan have also used their first draft pick on the position in five of 10 drafts. Buckner has 75.5 career sacks in his 11 NFL seasons, including four sacks, eight quarterback hits, 31 tackles, four tackles for loss, three passes defensed, and one fumble recovery through seven starts in 2026.
The homecoming drew immediate excitement from his former teammates. Tight end George Kittle celebrated the news on X by posting a picture of them together at the Pro Bowl alongside fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who had previously replied “Come home” on an Instagram post of Buckner complaining about being sick and tired of the same song and dance after a loss to Tennessee.
Buckner steps into a front line that has dealt with heavy injuries. Star pass rusher Nick Bosa has played just two games this season due to a calf strain, while rookie Romello Height, 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams—who recently returned from a torn ACL that ended his rookie season—and rookie Gracen Halton have each been bitten by the injury bug. The defense also lost Alfred Collins to a season-ending knee injury to his patellar tendon days before the season opener, and the unit has played without injured C.J. West and James Thompson Jr., leaving San Francisco to rely on defensive tackles Osa Odighizuwa, Gracen Halton, James Thompson, and Sebastian Valdez.
What the Roster Shuffles Mean for NFC West Rivals
While the 6-1 49ers secured Buckner during their Week 8 bye following a Week 7 loss to Atlanta, their NFC West rivals, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, landed Quenton Nelson. The Chicago Bears had also expressed interest in acquiring Nelson and Buckner, joining the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles in exploring potential deals, but ultimately missed out on both targets as the trade market accelerates ahead of the November 10 deadline.
DEFOOOOO THE BOYS ARE BACK @DeForestBuckner @JuiceCheck44 @49ers pic.twitter.com/jUoMNJ96Dx
More on Buckner
Colts trading DT DeForest Buckner to the 49ers for a 2027 4th-round pick. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/E6uIrvl7hR
We have acquired a 2027 fourth-round NFL Draft pick from the @49ers in exchange for DeForest Buckner. pic.twitter.com/QAF6BEBXXA