Fred Warner and DeForest Buckner Power 49ers Past Raiders 38-17 to 7-1

Nearly 6 years after trading defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2020, the San Francisco 49ers welcomed the veteran defensive lineman back to Levi's Stadium on Sunday afternoon and surged to a 7-1 record with a 38-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Reacquired from Indianapolis in exchange for a 4th-round draft pick—leaving 4 veterans from San Francisco's 2019 Super Bowl roster on the defense alongside Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, and Dre Greenlaw—Buckner was honored before kickoff when Warner and tight end George Kittle arranged for Buckner to run out of the tunnel last during pregame introductions, the anchor slot normally reserved for Warner.

Once the second half began, Warner and the 49ers defense forced 5 takeaways against Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins after recording 7 total takeaways across the season's first 7 games, while limiting Las Vegas to 1.6 yards per rushing attempt. Rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger opened the third quarter by intercepting Cousins for a pick-six touchdown; moments later, nickelback Upton Stout punched the football loose from Raiders tight end Michael Mayer and Warner recovered it in the end zone. On a fourth-down sequence after safety Ji'Ayir Brown pushed Brock Bowers out of bounds inside the 1-yard line, Warner stuffed Cousins on a 1-yard quarterback sneak—repeating a goal-line stop he made against Cousins in Minnesota on Monday night in 2023—before cornerback Renardo Green intercepted Cousins 2 plays later. Warner also forced his career-high 5th fumble of the 2026 season (and 23rd of his career) with 9 regular-season games remaining, while quarterback Brock Purdy passed for 2 touchdowns and rushed 7 times for 40 yards and 1 score as San Francisco totaled 414 yards (outgaining Las Vegas by 174 yards and holding possession for more than 38 minutes). Late in the game, 38-year-old tackle Trent Williams consoled 22-year-old rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton after Halton sustained a broken ankle.

Elsewhere across the NFC ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs suffered a broken finger during Green Bay's Week 9 victory over the New England Patriots, prompting roster evaluations over whether Green Bay could pursue backfield depth before Tuesday's deadline. In the NFC West, Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock sustained an oblique injury during Week 9 action while starting in place of Sam Darnold, who missed Week 9 with quad and rib injuries; if neither veteran clears medical evaluations, rookie quarterback Jalen Milroe could make his first start in Week 10.