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Sports

Colts Trade Eight-Time Pro Bowl Guard Quenton Nelson to Seahawks for Two Draft Picks

Indianapolis will receive a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick for the veteran guard, giving Seattle a proven interior blocker as injuries thin its offense.

By admin Oct. 27, 2026 · 4:48 PM ET 2 min read

An empty American football stadium under floodlights at dusk, with a marked green field

The Indianapolis Colts agreed Tuesday to trade eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks, with Indianapolis receiving a 2027 third-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick in return, according to USA Today.

The deal comes with the NFL trade deadline two weeks away, and it gives Seattle one of the league’s most respected interior blockers for the second half of the season. Nelson entered the league as an immediate starter at an elite level and has stayed at that level through his career, USA Today reported.

Football players in plain dark uniforms and helmets lined up in three-point stances on a practice field
Football players in plain dark uniforms and helmets lined up in three-point stances on a practice field

Seattle acted after a home win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and the trade addresses a clear weakness. Through seven games, the Seahawks ranked 27th in run-block win rate, according to ESPN figures cited by USA Today.

Why Seattle made the move now

Injuries have thinned Seattle’s offense. First-round pick Jadarian Price has been sidelined by a chest injury, Zach Charbonnet remains out after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in January, and left tackle Charles Cross is set to miss time after a high-ankle sprain against the Chiefs.

Nelson should also help quarterback Sam Darnold, USA Today reported, because his work against interior pressure can keep Darnold from being forced into rushed throws. Sorting out the reworked interior line will fall to head coach Mike Macdonald and first-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, with left guard Grey Zabel likely to shift to another spot.

A quarterback preparing to throw behind a line of blockers during a night football game
A quarterback preparing to throw behind a line of blockers during a night football game

USA Today graded the deal an A-minus for Seattle. It is the fourth consecutive year that general manager John Schneider has made a notable trade before the deadline, following earlier moves for defensive lineman Leonard Williams, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.

What Indianapolis gains, and what may come next

USA Today graded the deal a B for Indianapolis. Turning a franchise cornerstone into a third-round pick and a later pick may look light, the outlet wrote, but Indianapolis could not be sure of a similar return if Nelson had left in free agency, and the extra picks give the team room to rebuild after the Chris Ballard era.

A plain dark football helmet and shoulder pads on a wooden bench in a locker room
A plain dark football helmet and shoulder pads on a wooden bench in a locker room

The trade may also signal more moves before the deadline. USA Today named defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart and running back Jonathan Taylor as veterans Indianapolis could consider moving, as the team faces a shortage of draft capital after the Sauce Gardner deal.

Whether more deals follow, the Nelson trade already changes both teams’ plans: Seattle adds a proven blocker for a playoff push, and Indianapolis adds draft picks for a rebuild.

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today.

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