The Indianapolis Colts got rid of their GM this past week, after the team blew a 13-point lead to allow the division rival Tennessee Titans to become winless no more. They also blew the timing of going all-in with this team, and a trade for Sauce Gardner last season. The Colts lost Daniel Jones and haven’t looked the same since, growing so desperate as to try Philip Rivers off the couch against the Seattle Seahawks in 2025.
Could this be a cautionary tale? The Hawks, coming off of a world championship,
sure feel more assured that an aggressive move could pay off.
Superstar guard Quenton Nelson could be on the block, as the Colts reload for the future. He is in the conversation of the best guards in the league, in fact. The former sixth overall pick has carved out an 8x-Pro Bowl and, likely, Hall of Fame career in Indianapolis. His 89.2 PFF grade is the highest among OG’s in the NFL so far in 2026, and he has not allowed a sack on 407 snaps.
Nelson is 30 years old and on an expiring contract, so Indy could be motivated to move him for the right price. He, along with the rest of the Indianapolis players have been peppered with questions about trade speculation all week.
As I mentioned when discussing a hypothetical deal for Jonathan Taylor, John Schneider does like “save some gun powder” to make improvements in-season and loves to take big swings when he feels its worthy. Could Nelson be a worthy pursuit?
Well, Sam Darnold has absorbed 10 sacks over the last two games for the Seattle Seahawks. Against the Denver Broncos alone, he endured 17 QB hits and four of the five sacks that he took were on third downs. Yikes.
The issues aren’t just with pass protection. Seattle has generated the sixth-fewest (2) run plays of 20+ yards in 2026. They are also charted as the 2nd-least efficient in EPA/rush. You don’t want to know who is tops in that category.
Due to the lack of a threat in the run game, the Seahawks are facing cloud coverage and Cover 2 at a historically high rate. In short, the run game struggles have led to longer down and distances and have invited pressure and turnovers. Improvement on the offensive line can help in multiple offensive categories.
Now, can you imagine big Q-Nelson paired with Grey Zabel on the interior of the Seahawk offense, paving the way for an improved Seattle run game? One would need to switch to right guard, but that can’t be a dealbreaker here.
The Seahawks aren’t going to be replacing Zabel at LG anytime soon. Neither will they be looking for alternatives to Charles Cross at LT, Sundell at C or Abraham Lucas (yet) at RT. The only question is, can the RG spot be improved?
The man who manned that spot last year is likely back against the Kansas City Chiefs this week, in primetime. How does Anthony Bradford look upon his return? Can he steady the ship on a line that was supposed to hold an advantage of continuity and youth this year?
Seattle and Bradford will have three games to play in and observe before the trade deadline on November 10th. If A.B.’s return doesn’t help to pivot to success in the run and pass game, big moves could be made. If Quenton Nelson is on the agenda, that likely means Bradford is gone (as a part of the trade, or after this season). Can Bradford prove to the Hawks that they don’t need to go out and spend a 2nd-Round pick to upgrade?
The Shanahan-style system of wide zone, movement and play-action de-emphasizes the importance of running backs. It does, however, rely on leverage and displacement at the line of scrimmage. Coordinated steps, positioning and combination blocks bring the run game to life. Those are aspects of the game that Quenton Nelson excels at.
On top of the skill that number 56 would bring to the offensive line, can you imagine the opportunity for mentorship that Nelson would provide for young players like Grey Zabel, Christian Haynes and Beau Stephens? Nelson is a masterful pulling guard, a true asset in the run game as well as in pass protection.
The next couple of games will provide more information on the Seahawks’ needs. Acquiring an OG of the ilk of Quenton Nelson could be a game changer.
