Colts Send Nelson, Buckner Out in Same-Day Deals Before Nov. 10 Deadline

The Indianapolis Colts traded guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, Oct. 27, moving both players before the NFL's Nov. 10 deadline. Nelson heads to Seattle for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Buckner goes to San Francisco, the team that drafted him in the first round in 2016, for a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The moves follow the Colts' firing of general manager Chris Ballard last week. Both players were in the final years of their contracts, and Indianapolis received no players in return.

Nelson was drafted sixth overall in 2018 out of Notre Dame. He made nine Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro honors from 2018 through 2020. Buckner, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, averaged 7.3 sacks per season with the Colts and posted 81 tackles and eight sacks in 2023.

Heather Lloyd, a contributor on Colts Daybreak who appeared Wednesday morning, Oct. 28, said she predicted changes would come but not at this speed. "The Colts are making me look smart right now," Lloyd said. She said the team had offers in hand and chose to act. "Carlie wanted to get it done and she just got it done," she said.

Lloyd said trading before Nov. 10 limits injury exposure, allows veterans to land with teams they prefer, and delivers draft picks in 2027 rather than compensatory picks in 2028. She said the return was lower than she expected. "I really had in my head, you get a second rounder maybe for Quenton, they ended up getting a third and a fifth," Lloyd said. "You get a third rounder for Buckner, they ended up getting a fourth from the 49ers."

Lloyd listed running back Jonathan Taylor, defensive tackle Grover Stewart, and wide receiver Josh Downs as players who could move before Nov. 10. Taylor is under contract through 2028, and Stewart's deal expires after the season. The Colts play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. Indianapolis has not won in Jacksonville since 2014.