The Colts’ trade deadline didn’t just reshape the roster. It left Daniel Jones answering for a wave of departures that hit both sides of the ball, and he didn’t hide how he felt about it.
Indianapolis moved four key players on Tuesday, including three pieces from the offense Jones is tasked with running. Offensive lineman Quenton Nelson was sent to the Seattle Seahawks, while wide receiver Josh Downs went to the Kansas City Chiefs and Keenan Allen landed with the San Francisco 49ers. Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner also went to the 49ers.
Asked Wednesday about the flurry of deals, Jones was blunt about the emotional side of it, telling Clark Wade of The Indy Star that he is “not happy to see it.”
“Honestly, you're not happy to see it. You're a player, and you're going out there competing, and doing everything you can to win,” Jones said.
“So you're not happy to see a lot of those decisions, but like I said, that's outside of our control, and our job is to play and be prepared and play well. So, like I said, we got a lot of trust in the guys coming into those spots, and we'll be ready to go.”
The timing lands hard because the Colts have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments, sitting at 2-7. Jones has thrown for 1,722 yards with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and the team’s deadline activity only underscored how far things have drifted from where they hoped to be.
There was also at least some chatter around Jonathan Taylor, but ESPN’s Dan Graziano said the “buzz never lined up with” the Colts’ actual willingness to move him. Indianapolis was reportedly seeking a “first-round pick or some package of picks that would be reasonably equivalent.”
#Colts’ Daniel Jones says he’s ’not happy’ with roster moves. Head to https://t.co/pDEqV34G3e for more team coverage via @JoelAErickson and @By_NathanBrown —> https://t.co/Hbs7RuKjvK pic.twitter.com/2vIehKv2ZX
— Clark Wade (@ClarkWade34) November 11, 2026
For now, the roster churn is the story in Indianapolis, and what comes next is still wide open.
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