Grading the trade: Colts deal Quenton Nelson, who could be major upgrade for Seahawks

Who got the better end of the trade? Let’s dive in.

Colts made tough call on Nelson, putting emotion to the side

The firing of GM Chris Ballard was the first indicator that the Colts’ mentality had shifted for this season. At 2-2, the team was still very much in the thick of things. After three straight losses, the Colts can’t be viewed as contenders, especially as head coach Shane Steichen is having to answer questions about QB Daniel Jones’ job security as the team’s starter.

So on the one hand, trading off assets feels like a reasonable approach, especially for an expiring-contract player who’s on the back half of his career such as Nelson. But on the other hand, Nelson was also a lifelong Colt who was a massive favorite of late owner Jim Irsay and still one of the team’s most dependable, rock-steady players and leaders.

Trading Nelson is one indication that no Colts player should feel untouchable with Ed Dodds replacing Ballard (for now) and Carlie Irsay-Gordon taking over the team’s operations from her father. She’s routinely been seen on broadcasts doing an audit (or a triage?) of the team’s game-day operations and clearly is taking her role very seriously.

The Colts have other players who are far less tethered to the organization who also soon could be moved. Lacking a first-round pick next year from the Sauce Gardner trade, the Colts are trying to recoup as much draft-pick value as possible before the spring. With Jones’ struggles, along with the Colts’ apparent lack of trust in Anthony Richardson, the team almost certainly will be going quarterback hunting in the offseason. 

The return in value might feel low for a player of Nelson’s talent and reputation. But given his age (turning 31 in March), contract status and positional value, the price feels adequate. For comparison, the Chiefs traded a 32-year-old Joe Thuney – in the final year of an expensive deal – to the Bears for a 2026 fourth-round pick in March 2025. Apples to apples, the Colts got plenty more in return. 

The Colts were slated to have more than $60 million in salary-cap space prior to the Nelson deal, so this opens them up to be even bigger players in free agency. Trading off more assets and dealing with Jones’ contract in the offseason figures to open up even more space and flexibility.

But it also indicates the depth of the rebuild facing Irsay-Gordon and whoever lands the full-time GM job, be it Dodds or an outside candidate. You could argue that after the Nelson trade, Jonathan Taylor is the only elite-level offensive player remaining – and Taylor’s name has come up in trade rumors. (Just ask Taylor’s wife.) The defense also lacks blue-chip talent and might also lose a few pieces in the coming weeks.

Dealing Nelson is a move that has financial sense. It’s probably the right thing to do, considering the circumstances. But it’s also a painful loss that opens up some old wounds from the team’s recent missteps, and those don’t always heal quickly.

Grade: C+

In got-for-it mode again, Seahawks upgrade major offensive sore spot

The Seahawks’ dominant victory over the Chiefs was a good reminder of just how tough Seattle can still be. The Nelson trade only figures to improve their chances of winning a second straight Super Bowl.

That’s, of course, far from a given. But with a dominant defense and an offense that has felt incomplete to this point, adding known quantities at needed positions feels like a savvy stroke by GM John Schneider. 

Nelson also embodies the toughness that head coach Mike Macdonald wants coursing through his roster’s veins. There’s also an argument to be made that Nelson joining an established contender could light a fire under him. The Colts have gone 31-43-1 the past five seasons and haven’t made the postseason since 2020.

Generally speaking, Nelson is probably a more efficient run blocker than pass protector, although it’s hard to say that he’s anything less than above average in the latter department. He hasn’t been credited with allowing a sack since Week 14 of last season, per PFF, and has allowed a mere six pressures all season.

Nelson has also continued being the road grader in the run game he had been for years.

The Seahawks have trotted out multiple right guards this season, and it’s been a clear sore spot on offense. Neither Christian Haynes nor Anthony Bradford were able to claim the job, necessitating the Nelson trade.  

Nelson has played every snap of his NFL career at left guard. An easy fix would be to move Grey Zabel to the right side, which is where he played in college. That move could actually upgrade both guard spots and have a cumulative effect for what’s been an inconsistent run game to date this season.

The Seahawks have now traded away their original third-, fourth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2027, as well as their fifth- and seventh-rounders in 2028. On the surface, that might look sparse. But the Seahawks are slated to receive four mid-round compensatory picks next spring, and they’ll receive a third-round pick for executive Nolan Teasley being named Vikings general manager.

That makes the cost of the Nelson trade more palatable. Plus, when you consider that there reportedly were multiple suitors for Nelson, chalk it up as a win that the Colts didn’t hold out for a second-round pick in return.

Given the stage of his career and his contract status, this could end up being a fairly pricy rental – and that potential cost must be baked into the team’s grade. But if Nelson plays to his expected level, or even above the level he’s played at this season, and the Seahawks remain a title contender, it would be hard to label this as anything but a win.

It’s hard to knock a team for a go-for-it move that appears to be a great fit, both on a football and a cultural level. 

Grade: B+