The Indianapolis Colts have shaken up their roster ahead of the NFL trade deadline, sending DeForest Buckner back to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2027 fourth-round pick. The move came shortly after Indianapolis traded Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks, signaling a major shift toward building for the future.

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, however, had questions about why the Chicago Bears didn’t do more to land Buckner. His take didn’t sit well with fans, who pushed back by pointing out that the veteran defensive tackle wanted to return to San Francisco.

NFL Fans Push Back Against Dan Orlovsky’s DeForest Buckner Take

During an appearance on ESPN, Orlovsky questioned why the Bears passed up the chance to acquire an established defensive tackle for a fourth-round pick.

“And then honestly, one of my big takeaways is how does Chicago not make this move? For a fourth-round pick,” Orlovsky said.

At first glance, the price looked reasonable for an established interior defender. Buckner is in the final year of his contract, and his ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks could have strengthened a Chicago defensive unit that ranks 18th in PFN’s Defense Impact Score with a 74.8 grade.

But fans argued that the draft compensation was only part of the equation. Reports indicated that the Bears had interest in Buckner, but the 32-year-old reportedly preferred to return to San Francisco, the team that selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

One fan directly called out Orlovsky, writing, “@danorlovsky7 are you really so dense to not realize Buckner wanted back in SF and colts honored that?”

Another wrote, “Percent boy is unaware Buckner preferred 49ers (former team).”

A third fan added, “He wanted to be on SF. Please report this correctly.”

Others were equally blunt about the situation. “Let me explain it like you’re a child. He didn’t want to come to Chicago. He wanted to go back to the team that drafted him and that was SF,” one user wrote.

Another fan summed up the criticism by pointing to two key details: “2 things. 1. The bears did attempt to trade for Buckner. 2. He wanted to go to San Francisco. Get your facts straight.”

For the 6-1 49ers, bringing Buckner back would help address several injuries on their defensive line. Alfred Collins (patellar tendon) and C.J. West (knee) have been sidelined, while star edge rusher Nick Bosa has also missed time dealing with a calf injury.

The veteran has recorded 31 tackles and four sacks through his first seven games of the 2026 season. Buckner also ranks fifth in PFN’s Defensive Tackle Impact Score with a 91.2 grade.

San Francisco is coming off a 29-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. After a Week 8 bye, the 49ers will look to bounce back when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.