The Indianapolis Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard on Monday, ending his nearly decade stint leading the franchise.
The Colts loss to a winless Tennessee Titans team on Sunday in Indianapolis likely sealed Ballard's fate, though years of middling results put Ballard on a hot seat he couldn't avoid.
Now, the Colts will stare down a 2-4 record and a potentially lost season if Shane Steichen and company can't figure out the best path forward to getting wins. Could that spark a fire sale in Indianapolis?
Whoever takes over for Ballard in the interim might get some pressure from ownership to sell off parts and pieces here and there to buffet the team with good draft capital for the future. Who might be available?
These five Colts players might
be had via trade if you ask us, just given the trajectory of the team and the status of these players in Indianapolis.
G Quenton Nelson
Nelson is one of the best guards of his generation and a future Hall of Famer. However, he's on an expiring contract and may look elsewhere in the spring as the Colts stare down a possible rebuild. He's only 30, so Nelson still has plenty of good football left in his career. Any contender needing an upgrade at guard should call Indy ASAP.
DT DeForest Buckner
The veteran defensive lineman expressed his frustrations with the franchise after Sunday's loss. He's another accomplished player on an expiring deal, so we don't doubt there would be trade interest in him. We know a number of teams probably would be interested in adding a player like Buckner for a playoff run.
DT Grover Stewart
Stewart is yet another solid Colts veteran on an expiring deal. We'd imagine he'd be an enticing addition for any contending team looking to bolster its defensive rotation for January. He's still a good person to have around when you're looking to mix and match your defensive fronts, especially against the run.
QB Anthony Richardson
If any team wants to get a head start of adding Richardson ahead of his 2027 free agency, now's the time. The backup Colts quarterback feels destined to continue his career elsewhere. Rather than waiting to see if he'd join your team as a free agent in March, a trade would get him in your building to see if he'd be a fit now.
WR Josh Downs
Downs is one of the Colts' most promising young players, so the thought of him being traded feels wild. However, the team just paid running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Alec Pierce. If the Colts don't want to invest big dollars in yet another offensive starter, we wonder if a team could make Indy an offer it couldn't refuse. However, the Colts could also franchise Downs in the offseason if it came to it, so consider him a big wild card.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 5 Colts trade candidates after team fired GM Chris Ballard
