According to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, no Indianapolis Colts player is considered “off-limits,” should the franchise choose to be major sellers ahead of the league’s upcoming Tuesday, November 10th, trade deadline and jumpstart what seems like an inevitable major rebuild regardless:
“The Colts have received strong trade interest in guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in recent days, and no player is expected to be off-limits—if they decide to sell before the November 10 trade deadline,”
writes Pelissero on his substack ‘The Sweep’. “That includes running back Jonathan Taylor, who also figures to be the subject of calls over the next couple of weeks.”
Still, the consensus among league insiders seems to be that team ownership, and namely Carlie Irsay-Gordon, want to give embattled head coach Shane Steichen and this team two more weeks to see if they can rite the ship, and who knows, maybe the firing of longtime general manager Chris Ballard can help galvanize the team a bit.
That being said, the looming schedule ahead of the league’s trade deadline isn’t exactly encouraging, with a road matchup against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings (5-0), as well as the AFC South leading Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) thereafter, a road environment where Indianapolis hasn’t won since 2014.
In my opinion, it makes sense (although still initially painful!) to rip off the Bandaid and trade veteran players such as DeForest Buckner (32) and Grover Stewart (33), who realistically don’t fit into a 2-3 year rebuild timeline (*if hopefully done well by the Colts next general manager*), and that is, if the Colts can get meaningful future draft capital in return respectively.
For instance, acquiring a second round pick for Buckner and a fourth rounder for Stewart from an NFL suitor would be ideal going forward. Even trading veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward (30) for any value in return probably makes some sense, if he doesn’t factor into the Colts plans beyond the 2026 season.
The Colts would probably be more hard-pressed to trade the homegrown pairing of offensive guard Quenton Nelson or running back Jonathan Taylor without getting at least a future first round pick in return for either future franchise Ring of Honor candidate and potential Pro Football Hall of Famer.
In particular, Nelson, given his impeccable technique and fundamentals, may age rather gracefully into his mid-thirties like other elite offensive guards at his position historically—even when his athleticism and playing strength diminish a bit due to father time and added wear-and-tear.
Still, Indianapolis doesn’t have a 2027 first round pick due to last year’s Sauce Gardner trade deadline deal, meaning they may be a little more motivated to get that type of ‘Day 1’ pick back than they ordinarily would.
At any rate, it’s a situation well worth monitoring over the next two weeks or so.
