The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks made a major move before the trade deadline, acquiring eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts. The price was a third-round pick and a future fifth-round pick. According to The Ringer, Seattle will take on the remaining $9.78 million on Nelson's contract.
Indianapolis entered the deal at 2-5 and was widely expected to sell before the deadline, having already fired general manager Chris Ballard. Interim general manager Ed Dodds has a history with Seahawks general manager John Schneider, as Dodds worked in Seattle as a scout and senior personnel executive from 2007 to 2016. The Colts have several players on expiring deals who could draw interest, and Nelson is now one who has landed with a contender.
Nelson was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame and has long been counted among the league's best guards. He has earned eight straight Pro Bowl selections and three First Team All-Pro nods from 2018 to 2020. He is also known for his durability, having not missed a game since the 2021 season.
CBS Sports gave the Seahawks an A for the trade. Using TruMedia data, the outlet noted that Nelson has allowed six pressures and no sacks in seven games this season at left guard. Seattle's offensive line has struggled in 2026, particularly on the interior, where CBS Sports Research shows the team has allowed the highest pressure rate in the NFL. Quarterback Sam Darnold was kept clean on Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he was hit 17 times and sacked five times in the Week 6 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.
PFF ranked Seattle's line ninth in the league entering Week 7 and pointed to the right side as a weak spot. With Nelson in the fold, ESPN reports that former first-round pick Grey Zabel will likely slide over to right guard.
Nelson's contract runs out after this season, so he could be elsewhere in 2027. CBS Sports noted that the Seahawks have acquired expiring deals before and re-signed the players, citing wide receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed last year. Adam Schefter has reported that Seattle should have five compensatory picks in the coming draft after losing Kenneth Walker III, Tariq Woolen, Coby Bryant and Boye Mafe in free agency. The team also receives a third-round pick because former assistant general manager Nolan Teasley was hired as the Minnesota Vikings' new general manager. That draft capital, CBS Sports argued, makes the price a wise investment.
The Colts received a C+. The analysis said it is hard for a team to win this kind of deal, since Indianapolis is giving up elite talent at a discount and signaling that its 2026 season is effectively over. It also raises the possibility that players such as Jonathan Taylor or DeForest Buckner could be moved. The Colts do not own their 2027 first-round pick, having sent it to the New York Jets for Sauce Gardner last year.
CBS Sports also questioned whether Indianapolis could have received a better package by waiting two more weeks, though that cannot be known. ESPN reports that the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles all showed interest in Nelson before Tuesday.
