The Jets’ ugly Week 7 loss to the winless Miami Dolphins didn’t exactly leave much room for optimism. But a few days later, New York got a jolt from a move it didn’t make at all: Quenton Nelson going from the Indianapolis Colts to the Seattle Seahawks.
On the surface, it looked like another major NFL trade with no direct tie to the Jets. ESPN’s Field Yates, though, pointed out why New York should care a lot about it.
“A sneaky winner of the Quenton Nelson trade to Seattle? The Jets,” Yates shared.
“The Nelson trade could be the first of multiple trades the Colts make for their quality veteran players as they look towards the future. The Jets own Indy's 2027 first-round pick.”
That’s the key here. The Jets’ prize in all of this is tied to last year’s Sauce Gardner trade, which gave them control of Indianapolis’ 2027 first-rounder. If the Colts keep moving veteran pieces and keep drifting toward a teardown, that pick could become extremely valuable.
Nelson may only be the beginning. The source material points to DeForest Buckner, Jonathan Taylor, Keenan Allen, Josh Downs, and others as possible names that could be moved if Indianapolis decides to lean all the way into a sell-off. If that happens, the Colts could wind up pushing themselves toward one of the NFL’s worst records.
And that would put the Jets in a very strong spot.
For a team searching for its quarterback of the future, a depleted Colts roster could hand New York a premium draft position - or at least the kind of draft capital that makes moving up for a quarterback far more realistic.
That’s why this trade matters in New York, even though the Jets had no part in it. The Nelson deal is a sign that Indianapolis may be headed into full seller mode, and if that continues, the Jets could end up holding one of the most valuable cards in the 2027 draft. In the best-case scenario for New York, that could mean two picks inside the top five.
In Other News...
Colts Just Sent A Painful Message About Their Deadline Plans
The Colts moved on from one of their most recognizable linemen on deadline day, dealing All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle as a clear sign they were willing to make a tough football decision in the middle of the season. Nelson was in the final year of his contract, and the return gives Indianapolis future draft capital while closing the book on a player who has been a fixture of the offense for years.
For Seattle, the move is a straightforward bet on help up front, with the Seahawks taking on the rest of Nelsons deal to make the trade work. For Indianapolis, it leaves a bigger question hanging over the rest of the deadline window: whether this was the start of a broader reset, or simply the one deal they felt compelled to make before the market disappeared. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Bynum Showed Colts Fans Exactly What He Brings After Loss
After the Colts Week 7 loss to Minnesota, Camryn Bynum did what a lot of former teammates do after a reunion game: he shared a lighthearted photo with Harrison Smith that quickly made the rounds on social media. The moment had some humor to it, but it also underscored the connection Bynum still has to the Vikings and the respect he earned there, especially with Smith as a veteran presence during his Minnesota years.
For Indianapolis, though, the more important takeaway is what Bynum has already become on this defense. He has been on the field every week, functioning as a steady starter and one of the secondarys main communicators even as the Colts have worked through uneven results. In a season where the defense has needed reliability, Bynum has given them exactly that, and the loss in Minneapolis only put a brighter spotlight on how much he brings beyond the postgame moment. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Sent Their Rebuild Into Another Gear
The Colts roster overhaul took another sharp turn with the decision to move on from DeForest Buckner, a longtime anchor on the defensive front and a three-time Pro Bowler. The trade comes with Indianapolis in the middle of a difficult season and signals that the organization is continuing to reset pieces while reworking the roster around what comes next.
Buckner was in the final year of his contract, and his departure sends him back to the place where his NFL career began. For the Colts, the move adds another layer to a rebuild that has already forced some hard choices, and it leaves plenty of questions about how far this reshaping will go before the season is over. [Read more 🡒]