The Packers may be looking at the wrong Colt.
Green Bay has been linked to a possible trade run at Jonathan Taylor, and that makes sense on the surface. The Packers’ rushing attack has been a mess, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported that Green Bay is among the teams that have “pondered” or are “expected to consider” making an offer for the All-Pro back.
Taylor would absolutely juice a ground game that ranks 32nd. He’s coming off 2,172 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns over his last 24 regular-season games, with a 4.7-yard average per carry. Pairing him with Josh Jacobs would be a fun answer to the opening six games, when Green Bay leaned on a MarShawn Lloyd-Kaleb Johnson backfield.
But the bigger need is not another runner. It’s the wall in front of him.
If the Packers are going to raid Indianapolis before the November 10 deadline, the conversation should begin with Quenton Nelson. That’s the piece Green Bay actually needs more.
The reason is simple: the Packers’ run blocking is failing them at every level. The numbers are ugly.
They sit 32nd in rushing yards per game and yards per carry, but the deeper stats tell the harsher truth. Green Bay is 30th in yards before contact, averaging just 1.8 yards before contact per carry.
Detroit, by comparison, sits at 3.2. The Packers are also 30th in PFF’s run-blocking grade through seven games.
That’s the real issue Jacobs and the rest of the backs keep running into. Even against the Lions on Sunday, Jacobs couldn’t consistently power through what was in front of him.
Laken Tomlinson has helped some since arriving. He’s been solid in the run game and the pass game.
But solid is not the same as transformative. Nelson is the type of lineman who changes the conversation entirely.
The three-time first-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler currently ranks fifth among guards in run-blocking and third in pass protection. That’s the kind of upgrade that would matter far more than simply adding another runner to the mix.
Green Bay would still have some moving parts to sort out, though. Sean Rhyan is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a high-ankle sprain, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Why haven’t we seen Kevin Zeitler yet? Once Rhyan is healthy again, the Packers could line up with a starting five that looks very different.
Assuming Zeitler is healthy and still playing at the level he showed last season with the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay could suddenly have a strong tandem at guard. Rhyan’s return would also help; he has been the least of the Packers’ problems and is PFF’s 18th-ranked center in run blocking.
That would give Jacobs something he hasn’t had enough of: room.
Tomlinson would likely slide into a reserve role, which is a tough outcome for a player who has held up well. Mekhi Becton could continue serving as a multi-position option.
And if Jordan Morgan or Anthony Belton keep struggling, the Packers might even consider John Williams at tackle. Williams already had to step in at center after the injuries to Rhyan and Jacob Monk in Week 7, and he held up well considering the circumstances.
Of course, getting Nelson would not be easy.
Schefter and Rapoport also mentioned Nelson as a possible trade chip for Indianapolis, noting that his contract situation could make him available. He is in the final year of his deal after failing to work out an extension. The Colts also have a recent history of making bold deadline moves, having traded for Sauce Gardner last season when they were 7-2 and chasing a Super Bowl push.
That didn’t go the way they wanted. Indianapolis has gone 3-12 since then and is 2-5 this season, which opens the door to a rebuild and the possibility of dealing a 30-year-old All-Pro while they can still get value back.
The Packers can’t dangle a first-round pick, since that selection went to the Dallas Cowboys. But they do have flexibility, including a projected 11 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
And with Nelson’s contract status, a first-round price may not even be realistic anyway. Whoever lands him would also have to pay him.
A package would probably need to start with at least a second-round pick and other assets. That’s not cheap, but it’s the price of chasing a difference-maker at the line of scrimmage.
Green Bay is desperate enough to make the idea real. ESPN Research, via Rob Demovsky, says the Packers’ 419 rushing yards are the second-fewest through seven games in the past 35 years.
That’s the kind of problem Nelson can’t solve alone - but he can help fix the part that matters most. Adding Jonathan Taylor would be exciting. Adding Quenton Nelson would be the smarter move.
If the Colts are willing to listen, that should be the Packers’ first call.
In Other News...
Packers Loss Fueled A Ref Debate Fans Wont Let Go
The Packers 20-17 loss to Detroit was decided by Jake Bates game-winning field goal, but the final score only told part of the story. The afternoon also turned into a showcase for officiating debate, with the game marked by a string of controversial flags, including roughing-the-passer calls against Green Bay and an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Lions that kept drawing attention throughout the broadcast.
Tom Brady added to the noise from the Fox booth, pushing back hard on several of the rulings and making it clear he did not agree with how the game was being officiated. For Packers fans, the frustration was obvious: a divisional game slipped away in the final moments, and the calls around it only gave them more to argue about long after the kick sailed through. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Win Sparked A Postgame NFL Reaction Packers Fans Hated
Frustration spilled well beyond the final whistle after Green Bays 20-17 loss to Detroit, with Xavier McKinney taking aim at the officiating and making clear he was willing to risk a fine if it meant saying what he thought. The postgame mood around the Packers only sharpened when Fox analyst Tom Brady also questioned several calls against Green Bay, including a roughing the passer penalty that drew plenty of second-guessing from viewers and fans alike.
Social media only made the sting worse for Packers supporters when the league itself got pulled into the conversation. The NFL posted a celebratory clip tied to a key late penalty against Green Bay, and the reaction from fans was immediate, with many seeing it as a tone-deaf move that felt less like neutral coverage and more like the league piling on a team already furious about the way the game was officiated. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Loss To Lions Sparks A Frustrated Micah Parsons Response
Green Bays 20-17 loss to Detroit left the Packers with more than a tough result to digest. A walk-off field goal ended the game after the Lions benefited from a roughing-the-passer penalty, and the finish only added to the frustration around a night when Green Bay also left points on the field with two missed field goals and a costly interception by Jordan Love.
Even while rehabbing a knee injury and not playing, Micah Parsons made his displeasure clear afterward on social media, a reaction that fit the mood around a game the Packers let get away. The officiating call became the flash point, but it landed against a backdrop of missed chances that made an already painful division loss feel even harder to swallow. [Read more 🡒]