DeForest Buckner, the former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman, has been cited as the latest example of the franchise's reputation for not burning bridges with departed players.
The observation comes in a report dated October 31, 2026, which references Buckner's role in Super Bowl LIV on February 2, 2020, where the 49ers fell to the Kansas City Chiefs 31-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
