The San Francisco 49ers watched the Seattle Seahawks make a blockbuster trade with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday afternoon to acquire six-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson.
Just hours later, the 49ers made their own blockbuster deal with Indianapolis, landing three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher DeForest Buckner, who began his career in San Francisco, for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Buckner is in his 11th NFL season and playing on an expiring deal. He’ll now join a 49ers defense that needed a premier interior pass rusher. Buckner fills that need after recording four sacks this season.
Colts trading DT DeForest Buckner to the 49ers for a 2027 4th-round pick. (via @RapSheet) https://t.co/E6uIrvl7hR
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2026
Deebo Samuel Reacts to 49ers Trade
It didn’t take long for some of the 49ers’ stars to react to the team acquiring Buckner on Tuesday afternoon.
One of the first to respond was veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who spent one season with Buckner in 2019 before the 49ers traded Buckner to the Colts for a first-round pick.
Now, Buckner’s career has come full circle as he returns to San Francisco to help the 49ers chase a Super Bowl.
Samuel shared the news on his Instagram story with a caption that read, “ohhhhhhh [explicit].”
Deebo Samuel reacts to the 49ers bringing DeForest Buckner home https://t.co/HFkToNaNHw
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) October 27, 2026
Star tight end George Kittle also reacted to the news, posting, “DEFOOOOO THE BOYS ARE BACK,” alongside a picture of himself, Buckner and fullback Kyle Juszczyk at the Pro Bowl when they were teammates in San Francisco.
Buckner’s NFL Career
During his 11 seasons in the league, Buckner has appeared in 158 career games, starting 153 of them.
Across that span, he’s recorded 683 combined tackles, 196 QB hits, 101 tackles for loss, 75.5 sacks and nine forced fumbles.
As a team, San Francisco has recorded 15 sacks this season, a drastic improvement over the 20 it managed all of last season, which ranked last in the NFL.
However, the 49ers recorded a season-low three pressures and zero sacks against the Falcons this past week, making Buckner’s return a notable one.
Deebo Samuel Reacts to San Francisco 49ers’ Blockbuster Trade