The 49ers traded Buckner away for a first. A fourth brings him back.
Indianapolis made it official Tuesday afternoon. San Francisco's active roster is already full at 53, and two players on injured reserve could need spots of their own after the bye.
The 49ers acquired defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft. Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport broke the news at about 1:45 p.m., and Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area confirmed it with a source. The Colts announced the trade a little after 2:45 p.m. The 49ers had not posted it by early evening, and Buckner was not yet on their roster page.
What San Francisco gets. Buckner is 32. He has played seven games for the Colts this season, with 31 tackles, four sacks, three passes defensed and a fumble recovery, per his ESPN season line. Maiocco adds eight quarterback hits. The four sacks are more than any 49er has: Keion White leads the team with 3.5, per ESPN's team leaders. He has 75.5 career sacks. He is signed only through this season, Maiocco reported, and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in March.
Where he plays. Maiocco lists the interior group Buckner joins as Osa Odighizuwa, Gracen Halton, Sebastian Valdez and James Thompson Jr. Alfred Collins is on injured reserve for the season. C.J. West is on injured reserve with a chance to return after the bye, Kyle Shanahan said Monday. Sam Okuayinonu is aiming for January.
Why the line, in one number. ESPN Research has the 49ers pressuring the quarterback 23% of the time when they rush four or fewer, the second-lowest rate in the league, per Wagoner. The game book from Sunday's loss at Atlanta credits the 49ers with no sacks and no quarterback hits on Michael Penix Jr.
The roster math. The club's roster page on Tuesday listed exactly 53 on the active roster. Buckner needs one of those spots as soon as the 49ers file the move. Demarcus Robinson and West, both on injured reserve, each need one too if they come back for Las Vegas on Nov. 8. That is three spots if all three arrive, and none is open today. Shanahan described the problem on Monday, before the deal, in remarks carried by NBC Sports Bay Area: "When you trade and add players, that might make sense for one or two weeks, but then other guys come back, now you've got to cut people. So it's got to make sense for all that." He named receiver and defensive line as "the obvious injury spots."
The first time around. San Francisco drafted Buckner seventh overall in 2016 out of Oregon. He played four seasons here, made the Pro Bowl in 2018, and played his last 49ers game in Super Bowl LIV. The club traded him to Indianapolis in March 2020 for a first-round pick, which became defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. Wagoner reports that John Lynch has called that trade the most difficult decision of his tenure.
The Colts' afternoon. Hours earlier, Indianapolis sent guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth, per Maiocco. The Colts are 2-5 and recently fired general manager Chris Ballard. Two weeks ago, after a loss to Tennessee, Buckner said, "I'm sick and tired of the same song and dance every year," as quoted by Maiocco.
One practice-squad swap. The club announced Tuesday that it signed defensive lineman Kevin Givens back to the practice squad and released receiver Malik Turner from it. The 49ers had released Givens on Oct. 24. He has played one game this season, with two tackles, per the club. The practice squad stays at 17.
The trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 10.
