DT DeForest Buckner Going Back to the 49ers

Two time All-Pro DT DeForest Buckner returning to the 49ers is another move by the Indianapolis Colts, who also traded All-Pro offensive lineman Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks to bolster their front line. Bringing Buckner back wasn't the first time players have recently returned to the Bay Area.

Not the First 

Buckner joins WR Deebo Samuel and LB Dre Greenlaw among former 49ers who have returned to the team, which suffered its first loss of the season in their last game. Buckner is a good addition, as San Francisco has a banged-up defense that ranks second-to-last in the NFL in pressure rate. When the 49ers suffered their first loss of the season in their last game against the Atlanta Falcons, they only pressured QB Michael Penix Jr. on three of 34 drop-backs.

The Deal Makes Sense 

The deal makes sense not only for the 49ers and their injury-depleted defense but also for the Colts. They look to be in rebuilding mode at 2-5 this season, and in the Buckner deal they received a fourth-round pick in the next draft; while if he had signed with another team in the off-season, he is in the last year of his current contract, they would have received a fifth-round pick in 2028. The Colts need help, which is why they made the two recent moves.

Back in the Bay 

Buckner is back with the 49ers after being drafted by them in the seventh round in 2016. He turned out to be a gem late first-round pick and helped lead the team to the Super Bowl in 2019. However, San Fran chose to deal him rather than pay him a big contract, and GM John Lynch said sending him to Indy was the toughest decision of his 10 years at the helm.

Buckner joins a 5-1 team with Super Bowl aspirations, and he has to be happy to leave Indy, which has struggled all season and looks poised for a third straight losing season.