49ers Get Buckner for 2027 Fourth-Round Pick — SkimNews
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- Indianapolis Colts sent three-time Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2027 fourth-round pick, reuniting him with the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2016.
- Buckner played for the 49ers through 2019 before joining Indianapolis; he has 683 career tackles, 101 tackles for a loss and 75.5 sacks in 11 seasons, plus 31 tackles, four sacks and three pass breakups in seven starts this year.
- San Francisco 49ers allow 299.3 total yards per game (fourth-best in the league) and 89.0 rushing yards per game (fifth-best), while allowing three rushing touchdowns tied for best.
- Nick Bosa has missed multiple games with a calf injury; Buckner joins a defense also featuring Osa Odighizuwa, Mykel Williams and Fred Warner.
- George Kittle posted “DEFOOOOO THE BOYS ARE BACK” on social media on October 27, 2026, celebrating Buckner’s return.
- Indianapolis Colts sit at 2-5 and second in the AFC South after firing GM Chris Ballard; alongside Buckner, they sent Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks, added three draft picks (two in 2027, one in 2028) and cleared more than $17.7 million in salary-cap space.
Why it matters: For San Francisco, the trade adds a 31-tackle, four-sack defender to a unit ranked fourth in total yards allowed and fifth against the run, with Nick Bosa missing games because of a calf injury. Indianapolis receives a 2027 fourth-round pick and, alongside its Nelson deal, clears more than $17.7 million in cap space.
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