Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
DeForest Buckner’s first words as a Colt are goodbye to the 49ers.
“It’s been one hell of a journey, from 2-14 my rookie year to the Super Bowl this past season,” the defensive tackle wrote on Instagram on Monday in the hours after he was shipped to Indianapolis for the 13th-overall pick. “Looking back on everything, I can proudly say that every time I stepped on the field I gave it everything I had.”
For four years he did, the 2016 seventh-overall pick a Pro Bowler in 2018 and finishing with 7.5 sacks last season. He missed a single game with San Francisco in his tenure, but the 49ers chose Arik Armstead over him, giving the defensive lineman a five-year deal worth a reported $85 million.
Buckner already has agreed to a new pact with the Colts that will pay him $21 million per season.
“I’ve built so many lifelong relationships with coaches, teammates, staff members, and fans in the Bay Area. I just want to thank you all for helping me grow as a man, friend, and teammate,” the soon-to-be 26-year-old wrote. “The Faithful will always have a special place in my heart.
“Colts Nation, I can’t wait to get this thing rollin! I’m bringing everything I got to Indy!!”