The Indianapolis Colts certainly weren’t done when they traded Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks midday on Tuesday.
It didn’t take them long to make a second deal. DeForest Buckner is the next man being shipped out of town — he’s going back to his original NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers.
The Colts are trading Buckner for the same reason they moved Nelson — they’re 2-5, and he’s on an expiring contract. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season.
The reported cost in return for Buckner is a fourth-round pick.
The long-anticipated trade finally happened, with a 2027 4th rounder going to the Colts.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 27, 2026
Buckner was originally the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the 49ers out of Oregon.
He spent the first four years of his career with San Francisco, playing in 63 games and recording 28.5 sacks.
Buckner then joined the Colts ahead of the 2020 season and was in Indianapolis since then — making this his seventh season in Indy.
The big fella played in 95 games for the Colts. He had 28.5 sacks out of his 263 tackles, with a total of 38 tackles for loss.
At 6-foot-7, Buckner also had 20 passes defensed in his Colts career. He forced six fumbles and recovered four, including one for a touchdown. He also notched one safety for the Colts.
Now, he’s heading back to the Bay Area. This is how we’d grade the deal.
Colts’ DeForest Buckner Trade Grade: C
The Colts didn’t get as much back for Buckner as they did Nelson.
That’s as much a reflection of the relative values of the players, but it makes it tough to grade this better for Indy.
Nelson brought back both a third-round pick and a fifth-round pick. The Colts just got a fourth-round pick for Buckner.
Indy felt dealing Buckner was necessary ahead of what’s looking more and more like a lost season.
But the Colts also didn’t hold out until closer to the Nov. 10 trade deadline, when a desperate team might’ve upped the offer. Instead, Indy makes sure they deal Buckner while he’s healthy. More trades are likely coming.
49ers’ DeForest Buckner Trade Grade: A
The 49ers have very little downside to this deal.
Sending the Colts a fourth-round pick that will be late in that round isn’t a big loss. Sure, the Colts could nail the pick, but it’s a total wild card.
Buckner is a sure thing. The 49ers know him, and their defensive line can use the boost.
San Francisco wants to win the Super Bowl, and they didn’t have to pay a big cost for a player who can help them do that.
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