DeForest Buckner is back with the San Francisco 49ers, and he has quickly reclaimed his iconic No. 99 jersey, thanks to the generosity of a teammate. The veteran defensive lineman, who was traded back to the 49ers from the Colts, did not have to request the number, as second-year player CJ West offered it to him freely.
"I got to know him earlier [last] week, and we were talking a little bit," Buckner told NBC Sports Bay Area. "And he said, ‘Hey, bro, 99 is yours.’"
West was assigned No. 99 after the 49ers drafted him in the fourth round in 2025. However, the jersey has been unused since he landed on injured reserve in Week 2 of the current season with bone chips in his knee. Buckner, who has worn No. 99 throughout his NFL career, originally took the number after being drafted seventh overall by the 49ers in 2016. He continued to wear it for all six seasons he played with the Indianapolis Colts following his departure in free agency in 2020.
Buckner requested a trade back to San Francisco from Indianapolis amid the Colts' 2-6 start to the season. The Colts honored his request, trading him for a fourth-round pick. The terms of the trade did not include stipulations about his uniform number.
With West's unprompted gift, Buckner will not need to consider wearing a different number. The 49ers' roster now lists West as wearing No. 90.
"Oh, I’m going to take care of him," Buckner said of West. "But, yeah, he just offered it, which is pretty great."