The Giants have a problem up front, and it’s getting harder to ignore by the week.
If they’re serious about cashing in on a wide-open NFC East, they need help on the offensive line, and there may be a perfect name to call about: Quenton Nelson. The Colts’ three-time first-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl left guard is a Holmdel native, and with Indianapolis sliding into dysfunction, New York should at least find out whether he’s available.
The timing in Indianapolis is no accident. The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard on Monday, a move that points to bigger changes ahead.
At 2-4, they’re already behind the numbers, and Sunday’s 26-20 loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans only deepened the mess. This collapse didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, either.
Indianapolis finished last season by dropping seven straight after an 8-2 start, and the current stretch has now left them 2-11 over their last 13 games. It’s capital B, bad.
That kind of slide opens the door for speculation about a veteran sell-off, and Nelson would be one of the biggest names on the market if the Colts decide to go that route. He’s playing the final year of his four-year, $80 million contract at 30 years old, and the Giants already know they have a problem at his position.
Jon Runyan ain’t it. That’s been obvious, and it looks even clearer now.
New York has already explored other options, including a run at Alijah Vera-Tucker this offseason before he signed with the Patriots. Instead, the Giants wound up giving Runyan a two-year, $22 million extension.
I dare you to make that make sense.
The result has been a ground game that simply hasn’t done enough. Through six weeks, the Giants are averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and 104.8 yards per game, and while the running backs haven’t exactly looked like the ’07 Giants, the line has taken plenty of the heat for the lack of push.
Nelson, meanwhile, is still playing at a high level by the standard most teams would love to add. Pro Football Focus has him ranked fourth among 76 qualified guards with an 84.3 overall grade, and he’s third in run blocking with an 82.4 grade. The 6-foot-5, 330-pound guard is exactly the kind of force the Giants lack.
This would be a massive swing, no question. But Harbs isn’t afraid to shake things up, and the Giants have already seen him move on from one weak link in center John Michael Schmitz, replacing him with Bryan Hudson in Week 4.
The bigger picture makes the idea even harder to dismiss. The NFC East is in rough shape.
The division just became the first in NFL history to go winless in consecutive weeks with every team playing, and that’s before factoring in more bad news for the Eagles. They’re 2-4, injuries have been piling up all season, and Monday brought the worst of it: starting QB Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season with blood clots in his lungs.
Dallas is 2-4 and its defense can’t stop a nosebleed. Washington is 1-4-1 and doesn’t look built to truly contend.
That’s why the Giants have every reason to think big with three weeks left before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Maybe a 2028 Day 2 pick could get Indianapolis interested enough to start talking, especially with New York’s 2027 draft pick cupboard already limited.
Nothing about Nelson’s contract situation or the Colts’ skid guarantees a deal. But the Giants don’t need a guarantee to make the call.
They need to see whether Indianapolis is willing to listen. And if there’s a chance to add an All-Pro left guard while the division is wobbling this badly, they ought to take it.
In Other News...
Giants Backfield Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem After Ugly Fallout
Najee Harris brief run with the Giants took an uneasy turn after he voiced frustration with the teams running back rotation following a rough outing against the Saints. New York had been trying to find a consistent pulse in the ground game, and head coach John Harbaugh said the unit still had not earned a rhythm, stressing the need to make the most of the chances it gets.
Instead, the conversation around the backfield shifted quickly from usage to fallout. Harris complaints put the spotlight on a situation the Giants had been hoping to steady, and the team has now moved on, closing the book on a stint that never really found its footing. The departure leaves the backfield even more unsettled at a moment when the Giants could ill afford another layer of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Fans Already See An Evan Neal Debate Forming Up Front
The early returns on Francis Mauigoa have already become a talking point around the Giants offensive line, and it is not hard to see why. The 2026 No. 10 overall pick has been asked to make a notable transition from right tackle in college to right guard in the pros, all while trying to settle in with a line group that has already been hit by injuries and uneven play elsewhere.
Some fans have been quick to sound the alarm, but others are pushing back on the idea that his first six weeks should be framed as a full-blown disaster, especially with the specter of past Giants draft misses hanging over the conversation. However this develops, the bigger issue for the team is whether Mauigoa can find his footing soon enough to quiet the comparisons and give the front five some much-needed stability. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Have A Real Shot At Fixing Their Backfield
The Giants running back situation has become one of the clearer weak spots on the roster, and with the trade deadline approaching, it is the kind of problem that can push a front office to explore every possible angle. New York has reason to keep an eye on the market, especially if a proven back becomes available at a time when the right team might be more willing to listen than it was a few weeks ago.
Jonathan Taylor is the obvious name to watch, at least as a fit on paper. He has remained a productive player for Indianapolis, and his availability would instantly change the conversation for a Giants offense looking for more stability behind center. For now, nothing has been confirmed, but the possibility is enough to make this one worth tracking as the deadline draws closer. [Read more 🡒]