The predicted "fire sale" is underway for the struggling Indianapolis Colts. On Tuesday, they traded both Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner for future draft picks. Both of these players were guys who could have come in and helped the Denver Broncos, as discussed here.
In the case of Nelson, it certainly seems like a missed opportunity if you're a Broncos fan.
The Seattle Seahawks were able to obtain him for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. That seems awfully cheap for one of the best offensive linemen in the league.
Nelson is one of the NFL's top guards. The former first-round pick has been selected to the Pro Bowl in every year of his career, dating back to his rookie season in 2018.
Many fans wanted the Broncos to pursue
Nelson, but he'll instead head to the defending Super Bowl champions, bolstering their hopes for a repeat.
Broncos should have found a way to land Quenton Nelson
Why the Broncos weren't able to get Nelson is anyone's guess.
It could be a lot of things. Maybe the Colts didn't want to send him to an AFC team. Maybe George Paton and Sean Payton are a bit apprehensive after already trading for Jaylen Waddle this past offseason. Payton is not usually one to make moves like that, instead preferring to roll with the guys he has.
But the guard spot is one where the Broncos could use help. Ben Powers has not played well this season and there is a solid argument to be had for Alex Palczewski replacing him in the starting lineup.
The #Broncos not being mentioned here is maddening. They should've been one of Nelson's strongest suitors.
— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) October 27, 2026
But apparently they weren't, because of "Ben Powers" or something. https://t.co/1GN30WLD1P
If the asking price was what Nelson ended up going for, the Broncos should have been willing to pay more. But perhaps they were never even interested.
The Broncos have shown that they are confident in what they already have on the roster with the way they went about the offseason during the free-agent signing period followed by the draft, maybe too confident.
In addition, the team used its fourth-round pick on Kage Casey, a player they are happy to have on the roster and one they likely have big future plans for. There is already a large amount of cap space tied up in the starting offensive line ($60.2 million this season), and Nelson would have made that number even bigger.
Though it may be frustrating, Broncos fans should not be at all surprised that this was the team's approach when it came to Nelson. Still, it would have been a tremendous move that could have helped the team improve its running game and overall toughness, things that will now show up in Seattle.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos missed an opportunity to trade for Quenton Nelson
