DeForest Buckner's 49ers homecoming: Lynch's surprise, a thin defensive line and a Super Bowl chase after the bye

DeForest Buckner played his last game for the San Francisco 49ers in a Super Bowl. Six and a half years later, he’s back with a chance to help them win one. The day after the Colts traded the 32-year-old defensive tackle to San Francisco for a 2027 fourth-round pick, the focus has shifted to how he fits, why the 49ers moved so quickly and what Indianapolis is left with.

Yesterday’s post covered the trade terms. This one covers the reaction and what’s next.

“I think our personnel is fine,” hours before the trade

General manager John Lynch didn’t hint at the move. On Tuesday morning, KNBR hosts asked whether Sunday’s 29-20 loss to Atlanta showed that the 49ers needed defensive line help, according to Niners Wire. The 49ers didn’t record a sack in that game. “Do we have the right people? I think so,” Lynch said. “I think our personnel is fine.”

Lynch blamed what he called “a clunker of a day,” pointing to Atlanta’s running game, which kept the Falcons ahead of the chains. Hours later, the 49ers agreed to the trade for Buckner.

NBC Sports Bay Area noted the contrast: San Francisco had nine sacks over its two previous games against Seattle and Washington, then didn’t touch Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on Sunday.

How Buckner fits the 49ers’ defensive line

NBC Sports Bay Area says Buckner immediately becomes the 49ers’ best defensive tackle. He’ll join an interior group that includes:

• Osa Odighizuwa, acquired by trade this offseason
• Gracen Halton, a fifth-round rookie
• Sebastian Valdez and James Thompson Jr.

More help may be on the way. Defensive end Nick Bosa, limited to two games by a calf injury, is expected back after the bye, and tackle CJ West is expected to return from a knee procedure to remove a bone chip, NBC Sports Bay Area reported. USA TODAY added that it’s still uncertain how much Bosa and Mykel Williams, who is coming back from a 2025 ACL injury, can contribute off the edge.

Buckner has 31 tackles and four sacks in seven games this season. USA TODAY noted that his 8.3% pressure rate is his lowest since 2021. It also suggested that part of the reason may be the Colts’ line, which ranks last in the league in team pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats.

The trade grades

USA TODAY called Buckner “a force multiplier” for a line that has struggled at times. It also said that trading a pending free agent who was frustrated with losing was “simply good business” for Indianapolis. NBC Sports Bay Area said Buckner “appears to be a bargain” next to the third- and fifth-round picks Seattle gave up for Quenton Nelson the same day.

Why the split made sense for Buckner

His frustration had been public. After a home loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, Buckner said, “I’m sick and tired of the same song and dance every year,” NFL.com reported, citing the AP. The Colts have lost since then, falling to 2-5, and fired general manager Chris Ballard.

Buckner is signed only through this season and will be an unrestricted free agent in March, according to NBC Sports Bay Area. That gave Indianapolis an incentive to get something now rather than risk losing him for a compensatory pick later.

What the Colts do without him

USA TODAY pointed to fourth-year defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore, who has four sacks on just 92 pass-rush snaps, as the player who should now get a longer look. The extra mid-round pick also gives Ballard’s eventual successor more flexibility in the draft.

A homecoming with history

The 49ers drafted Buckner seventh overall in 2016 and traded him to Indianapolis for a first-round pick in March 2020, after the Super Bowl LIV loss to Kansas City. Coach Kyle Shanahan has said that parting with him was hard. In a December 2025 interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Shanahan called it “the toughest” decision he had faced and said, “gosh, I wish he was still here.”

What’s next

The 49ers (6-1) are on their bye and return Sunday, Nov. 8, against the Las Vegas Raiders at Levi’s Stadium, per NBC Sports Bay Area. The trade still needs Buckner to pass a physical. Teams have until the Nov. 10 trade deadline to make more moves.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: DeForest Buckner traded back to the 49ers as Colts land a 2027 fourth-round pick (Oct 27)