Former Oregon Star Deforest Buckner Could be Traded by Colts Soon

The Indianapolis Colts could trade former Oregon star Deforest Buckner soon, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. 

Indianapolis is open for business. The team is only 2-5. 

Buckner has four sacks, 11 solo tackles, four tackles for loss and eight QB hits this season. He's 32 years old. 

A three-time Pro Bowler, Buckner played for Oregon from 2012 to 2015. He won the 2015 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. 

In 53 games with Oregon, Buckner had 18.0 sacks, 35.5 tackles for loss and 109 solo tackles. He's one of the best defenders in Ducks history. 

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Buckner with the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Buckner spent four seasons with the 49ers before joining the Colts in 2020. 

Buckner is better suited to play for a contender at this stage of his career. The Colts will miss the playoffs this season, so they are widely expected to trade Buckner before the trade deadline. 

The 2026 NFL trade deadline is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. ET. After this time, teams will no longer be allowed to execute trades until the 2027 league year officially begins in March.

The 49ers traded Buckner to the Colts in March 2020 for the 13th overall pick in that year's draft. Buckner is scheduled to be a free agent in 2027. It makes him a prime target at a position several contenders need.

Buckner has already been paid $10 million in a roster bonus and he is due the rest of his $13 million base salary this year. Nearly guaranteed to leave Indianapolis after the season, a decision to unload players would almost certainly include Buckner.

It would be fascinating to see Buckner play for the 49ers again. San Francisco is 6-1. They are in first place in the NFC West. 

The 49ers are giving up 19.9 points per game. That's good for sixth in the NFL. Their defense would become more dangerous by pairing Buckner with Fred Warner and Nick Bosa.