The San Francisco 49ers’ run defense has been a concern, and ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thinks a veteran Indianapolis Colts lineman could help. And it's not the one you think.
In his 2026 trade deadline pitches, Barnwell proposed that San Francisco acquire defensive tackle Grover Stewart and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Colts for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
While fans (and current players) are understandably dreaming of a DeForest Buckner reunion, the 49ers already have Osa Odighizuwa, and rookie Gracen Halton has sacks in each of the past two games. The bigger need, he argued, is at nose tackle. San Francisco is 27th in run-game success rate this season, he noted, after ranking 31st a year ago. The 49ers do rank seventh in the NFL in both rushing
yards allowed (541) and yards per carry allowed (3.6).
Stewart has 20 tackles, a half-sack and three quarterback hits in six starts this season. Not gaudy stats, but certainly a skillset that would fill in nicely on a defense looking to make a deep playoff push.
Adding Stewart to the defensive line rotation would go a long way in helping San Francisco plug up those run game woes. The 33-year-old is a useful player and in the final year of his deal, but his contract is also expensive; he’s owed $8.2 million in cash over the remainder of the season.
With the 49ers still undefeated and fielding one of the league’s oldest cores, the front office should be fine to spend now. San Francisco still leads the league with $41.2 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, and Stewart is an impending free agent.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL trade deadline: Should the 49ers try to acquire this Colts DT?
