3 Other Teams Had Interest in Quenton Nelson Before Colts-Seahawks Trade

The Seattle Seahawks made a blockbuster addition on Tuesday, acquiring eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts.

Seattle sent back a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick in exchange for the star lineman.

The trade shows that Seattle is all in on defending their Super Bowl title. At 4-3, the Seahawks are still in the playoff hunt but need to build a more consistent ground game, with the team averaging just 113.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks in the bottom half of the NFL. Injuries to Zach Charbonnet and first-round rookie Jadarian Price have hurt them, but Nelson should help provide a more stable run game, while also taking some of the pressure off quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Colts, meanwhile, are clearly shifting towards a full-blown rebuild. They're 2-5 entering the midway point in the season and have already fired general manager Chris Ballard. Now, they just moved on from a franchise cornerstone, and more moves are expected in the coming days.

However, the Seahawks weren't the only team trying to get Nelson. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles all showed interest in the veteran guard before Seattle pulled the trigger.

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Nelson was Indianapolis' sixth overall pick in 2018, viewed as a potentially generational lineman coming out of Notre Dame. He quickly lived up to the billing, earning eight Pro Bowls, three second-team All-Pro honors, and three first-team All-Pro nods in nine years with the Colts. He's 30 years old now, but remains highly productive, having allowed just six pressures and zero sacks through the first seven games this season. His overall PFF Grade of 85.7 ranks third among all NFL guards.

Green Bay showing interest isn't surprising. They've got the worst run game in the league, averaging just 59.9 rushing yards per game, and just lost starting center Sean Rhyan to a severe ankle injury. The Eagles, meanwhile, have dealt with concerns of their own, including losing All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson and trading Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens. Chicago already has one of the best offenses in the league, but it's no surprise to see Ben Johnson looking for more ways to beef up the offensive line either.

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For Seattle, this could be a massive win, and it puts immediate pressure on the competing powers to answer with improvements of their own. Recent reports are that the 49ers are gearing up to make some moves in response to the Nelson trade, and the Rams have been involved in trade rumors for weeks. Nelson could be the first domino in what's shaping up to be a busy trade season.