Bonta Hill of 95.7 The Game floated the idea this week, and it's worth taking seriously: with the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching in two months, the San Francisco 49ers should call the Indianapolis Colts about defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
"I would love to see DeForest Buckner back in red and gold," Hill said. "He's a free agent next season... The 49ers have a need at defensive tackle... I would love for him to come back home alongside Dre Greenlaw and Deebo Samuel and go get this damn Super Bowl."
The need part isn't up for debate. San Francisco lost Alfred Collins for the season to a torn patellar tendon just before Week 1, leaving Osa Odighizuwa as the only proven interior lineman on the roster behind lackluster depth. The Niners are
patching the interior with C.J. West, rookie Gracen Halton and a banged-up James Thompson Jr. That's not a group built to hold up in December.
Buckner isn't the dominant force he was when San Francisco traded him to Indianapolis in 2020 for a first-round pick, though. His sack total has dropped in three straight seasons, down to four in 2025, and he's played in just one game so far this year. At 32, he can still anchor the run game but no longer wins consistently as a pass rusher.
That decline is exactly what makes this idea workable. Buckner's contract voids after 2027, and the 49ers can easily absorb his $26.6 million salary cap hit in 2026 with their league-leading $45.5 million cap space, all according to Over The Cap. With so much going downhill in Indianapolis already this year, the Colts have re-sign him. So, as the season progresses, they could be motivated sellers for a pending free-agent player.
For the 49ers, that's a low-cost swing at real depth. Buckner doesn't need to be 2019 Buckner. He needs to eat run snaps, stabilize an interior that's already down a starter, and give the defensive front a veteran who's started playoff games before. Pair him with Odighizuwa, and San Francisco's front seven looks a lot more credible in a division race than it does right now.
The cost would be what makes or breaks this deal. A Day 3 pick for Buckner to get his contract off the Colts' books would be a steal for the 49ers. Anything more might be a little too expensive. But, given the 49ers' real depth issues on the defensive line, even a late Day 2 pick might be worth it for a little more nostalgia in San Francisco.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Why the 49ers should bring DeForest Buckner back home
