In another NFL blockbuster trade on Monday, the Indianapolis Colts sent the No. 13 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, according to reports.
Buckner, who turns 26 on Tuesday, immediately was signed by the Colts to a “massive” contract that will pay him up to $21 million per year, according to ESPN, making him the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in league history behind Aaron Donald. The length of the contract was not disclosed.
Buckner was part of the monstrous 49ers defense that carried San Francisco to Super Bowl 2020, and immediately boosts the Colts’ interior line.
The trade comes just hours after the 49ers locked up defensive lineman Arik Armstead with a five-year, $85 million deal.
Armstead’s extension, combined with San Francisco’s lack of draft capital, likely played a role in the 49ers trading Buckner. The 49ers now have seven picks, including their own first-rounder (31st overall).
Buckner wasn’t the only star switching teams through a trade on Monday. Earlier in the day, which marked the beginning of NFL free agency, the Houston Texans shockingly traded superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson in a transaction that also included draft picks.