The Colts are expected to be sellers at the NFL trade deadline after firing general manager Chris Ballard. One player they could move on from is defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. 

Buckner, 32, is in his seventh season with the Colts and 11th year in the NFL. He is in the final year of his contract with Indianapolis and has been candid about his frustration with the team’s 2–5 start, including three consecutive losses. 

“I don’t know. How about you guess. Yeah, I’m frustrated. Same thing, we lost,” Buckner said after the Colts lost to the Vikings 16–10 on Sunday. 

With the Colts in the midst of another lost season and Buckner slated to become a free agent, it makes sense for Indy to deal him and accumulate extra draft capital. As the trade deadline approaches, here are five potential landing spots. 

49ers

A reunion between the 49ers and Buckner before the deadline feels natural. The 49ers’ No. 7 pick in 2016 spent four seasons with San Francisco before he was traded to the Colts in 2020. Buckner played well for the 49ers and was a member of their first Super Bowl team under Kyle Shanahan. If he is traded back to the 49ers, he could help them finally win their sixth Super Bowl.

Buckner would be a significant boost to the defensive line, which has performed admirably without Nick Bosa, but could use more help if they want to win a Super Bowl. Buckner has four sacks on the season, and could bolster a pass rush that managed only three pressures against the Falcons last week.

Bears

Another team that could use more help alongside the defensive line is the Bears, who invested more into retooling their back seven this offseason than the front four. They rank 12th in quarterback pressure rate and seventh in sacks, but still need pass-rush help. While the Bears’ offense is dominant, the defense has more holes that could be exposed against the league’s best teams. Along with his four sacks, Buckner has also totaled 17 pressures this year, another area where he could help the Bears’ defense.

Bills

The Bills changed their defense this offseason, but that switch hasn’t led to much improvement. Greg Rousseau had six sacks in his first three games, but he’s been quiet since, failing to record a sack in each of the past three games. Overall, the Bills rank 28th in pass rush win rate. Their biggest need is the secondary, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t add to the defensive line as well with a player such as Buckner—especially since a good pass rush can help the secondary do its job better. 

The bottom line: If the Bills want to win a Super Bowl with Josh Allen, their defense doesn’t seem good enough to do so since they rank 31st in passing yards allowed per game and EPA per play allowed. If Buckner is a player that can help improve this unit and give them a better shot at reaching their ultimate goal, trading for him is a move Buffalo must consider.

Packers

As Micah Parsons’s absence has shown, the Packers could use more pass-rush help. While Parsons is slated to return soon, they shouldn’t solely rely on him to improve the unit, especially since he is coming off a major injury. The Packers have recorded just two sacks in their past two games. After losing defensive tackle Javon Hargrave for the remainder of the season due to a torn Achilles, a potential addition of Buckner makes sense for the Packers as they look to keep up in the NFC North.

Jaguars

It seems unlikely the Colts trade Buckner to a division rival, but if the Jaguars can swing it, he would be a worthwhile addition to their defensive line and pass rush. The Jaguars’ pass-rush duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker has disappointed this season as the two have combined for only 3.5 sacks. The Jaguars have only 11 sacks this year despite being tied for seventh in quarterback pressure rate (39.1%). By adding Buckner, the Jaguars could bolster their interior pass rush. A trade for Buckner would also reunite him with his former 49ers teammate, Arik Armstead, who has been with Jacksonville since 2024.