The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons this past weekend.
It marked their first loss of the NFL season, dropping them to 6-1 overall as they enter a much-needed Week 8 bye.
With some extra time off, the 49ers are actively improving their roster this week after acquiring Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts for a fourth-round pick on Tuesday afternoon.
Buckner is in his 11th NFL season and is on an expiring deal, which helps explain why the 49ers landed him for a relatively modest price of one late-round draft pick.
However, many viewed the move as a necessity. The 49ers’ pass rush has improved significantly this season after ranking among the league’s worst at pressuring quarterbacks a year ago. But against the Falcons, they generated just three pressures and failed to record a sack.
J.J. Watt Reacts to 49ers’ Trade
Former All-Pro pass rusher and current lead CBS Sports broadcast analyst J.J. Watt appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday to discuss the latest NFL news.
As expected, Watt was asked about the 49ers’ move to land one of the premier interior pass rushers in the sport and bolster their defensive front.
“DeForest Buckner is playing as well as I’ve seen him play in his career,” Watt said. “He is playing phenomenal football… the way that he’s playing, the effort that he’s playing with, the speed, the swim moves, the pass rush, he’s playing outstanding. And now you take him off a team that’s struggling and you put him on a team who’s in the race for the Super Bowl and he’s going back to a place where he’s had success. He’s got to be a pretty happy man right now and I love watching this guy play and I can’t wait to see him do it again on this defense now.”
“DeForest Buckner is playing as well as I’ve seen him play in his career..
He’s playing phenomenal football and I can’t wait to see what he does for the 49ers” ~ @JJWatt
#PMSLive https://t.co/shwzn38BXO
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 28, 2026
Buckner’s NFL Career
The 49ers drafted Buckner out of Oregon with the seventh overall pick in 2016. He spent the first four years of his NFL career with the organization before they traded him to the Colts for a first-round pick.
Buckner returns to the 49ers after six seasons with the Colts. He has already recorded 4.0 sacks and 31 tackles this season.
Throughout his career, Buckner has recorded 75.5 sacks, 683 tackles and 101 tackles for loss while earning three Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro honor.
J.J. Watt Makes Strong Statement on San Francisco 49ers’ Blockbuster Trade