Colts trade eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle

The Indianapolis Colts have traded veteran guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks for a third-round draft pick and a fifth-round pick, according to a person with knowledge of the deal cited by the Associated Press. The teams had not formally announced the trade when the report was published. The person spoke anonymously because the transaction was still pending official confirmation.

Nelson, 30, can become a free agent in March. The move comes during a difficult season for Indianapolis. The Colts are 2-5, have lost three consecutive games and have won only two of their past 14.

The club dismissed general manager Chris Ballard last week after a home defeat by the previously winless Tennessee Titans. Assistant general manager Ed Dodds has taken over Ballard’s duties on an interim basis. Nelson’s departure is the second major move involving the Colts in two weeks, according to the Associated Press report.

Nelson was selected sixth overall in the 2018 draft. He immediately established himself as one of the league’s leading interior offensive linemen, earning All-Pro recognition from 2018 through 2020 and making the Pro Bowl eight times. He and linebacker Darius Leonard became the first pair of rookie teammates to earn All-Pro honours since Chicago Bears stars Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus in 1965.

Nelson has remained one of the most prominent players on the Indianapolis roster despite the team’s recent decline. The trade also gives Seattle an experienced addition to its offensive line. The Seahawks are 4-3 and were scheduled to host the Chicago Bears, who are 5-2, on Monday night.

For Indianapolis, the deal appears in the context of a season that has already prompted a change in the front office. The Colts were scheduled to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are 4-2, on Sunday. Nelson had not publicly said much about his future plans, the Associated Press reported, because he was focused on finishing the season strongly.

His potential free agency in March added urgency to the decision over whether to retain him or seek value through a trade. CBS Sports separately characterized the transaction as Seattle acquiring an eight-time Pro Bowler while Indianapolis sells pieces during a slide. The reported compensation remains the third- and fifth-round selections described by the Associated Press, subject to the teams’ official confirmation.