Grading the trade: Indianapolis Colts begin the fire sale after sending franchise pillar Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks
The Indianapolis Colts have officially moved into seller mode ahead of the NFL trade deadline by shipping a franchise pillar to Seattle. We graded the deal, and the price for an all-time Colt raises real questions in Indianapolis.
Well, all it took was a couple of losses and the firing of the general manager, and now the Indianapolis Colts are officially sellers ahead of the NFL trade deadline. ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that the Colts have agreed to send 8-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks.
Nelson is on an expiring contract. Indianapolis is choosing to recoup draft capital now rather than risk losing him for nothing in free agency.
This is a massive deal for the Colts. If they are willing to part ways with a franchise pillar like Nelson, it’s safe to say that everybody on the roster is available before the deadline. So the immediate question becomes what the Colts actually got back for one of their best players.
What the Colts got back for Quenton Nelson
That’s where things get a little tricky. NFL insider Tom Pelissero was first to have the trade details: The Colts are sending 8-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks for a 2027 3rd-round pick and a 2028 5th-round pick, sources tell Ringer and Netflix Sports.
That is a steal for Seattle.
Colts fans know Nelson hasn’t been the problem on that offensive line. Jonathan Taylor was still putting together a strong year running behind him. In my opinion, Nelson is still one of the best interior offensive linemen in the NFL, if not the best.
Now he heads to a Seahawks offense that has struggled, whether that comes from injuries in the backfield or from poor interior offensive line play. The reigning Super Bowl champions just got a whole lot better. All the Colts received in return was a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
Quenton Nelson career accolades
- 8x Pro Bowler
- 3x first-team All-Pro
- Played in 13 or more games every year of his career
Grading the Quenton Nelson trade for Indianapolis
To be fair to the Colts, I will preface the grade by saying Nelson was probably going to leave in free agency anyway. Former general manager Chris Ballard didn’t sign him to a long-term deal before the season started, and that is likely part of the reason Ballard is no longer running the show. That’s neither here nor there at this point. Nelson wasn’t going to stay in Indianapolis with the way things are trending.
But here’s the thing. This was one of the best interior offensive linemen in the league, and arguably the best. Indianapolis already has no first-round picks, and all it could get back was a third-round pick two drafts away and a fifth-round pick even further down the road.
That return is as average as the day is long. Yes, the Colts got something, and something is better than nothing. However, when that something doesn’t feel good enough for one of the best players at his position in the entire league, the grade has to reflect it.
Final Grade for Quenton Nelson Trade: C
Seattle walks away with an elite guard for its title defense at a bargain price. Meanwhile, Indianapolis walks away with a pair of mid-to-late picks and a clear signal that more moves could be coming before the deadline passes. We ran the trade through the A to Z Sports NFL trade simulator, and a C might be generous.
