Just hours after trading away three-time All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson, the Indianapolis Colts have traded away their top defender, DeForest Buckner, to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2027 fourth-round draft pick.
Trade: Colts are sending three-time Pro-Bowl DT DeForest Buckner back to the 49ers, the team that made him a 2016 first-round pick before dealing him to Indianapolis in 2020, per me and @rapsheet. Now Buckner returns to San Francisco, fortifying the 49ers defensive line. pic.twitter.com/7sPd4Oei20
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 27, 2026
Buckner started his career with San Francisco, playing in 63 games over four seasons. In that time, he recorded 28.5 sacks, 263 total tackles, and three forced fumbles. In March 2020, the 49ers traded Buckner to the Colts for a first-round
pick, which Indianapolis then traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a first- and fourth-round pick.
In his first year with the Colts, Buckner earned first-team All-Pro honors and made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2023. He started the season strong, recording four sacks through the first seven games, along with 31 total tackles and eight tackles for loss.
San Francisco just suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Injuries on both sides of the ball are catching up to them, and as Super Bowl contenders, the 49ers decided to bolster their defense. For the Colts, this is a clear sign they are tanking this season and looking to next year.
However, they no longer have their 2027 first-round pick because they traded it to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner. Gardner has played only 10 games with Indianapolis and has yet to record an interception.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Colts trade DT DeForest Buckner back to the 49ers for fourth-rounder
