The Colts’ decision to move Quenton Nelson says plenty about where the franchise is headed, and it also opened the door for a Notre Dame great to land in a much better spot.
Seattle acquired the three-time All-Pro guard from Indianapolis on Tuesday in a deal that sent a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick back to the Colts. The price may look modest, but the market was active. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday afternoon that the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Philadelphia Eagles also had interest in Nelson.
For Seattle, the move is a direct answer to a problem that has dogged the offense all season. Nelson gives the Seahawks a proven interior blocker after a year in which the line has struggled to create lanes in the run game and keep quarterback Sam Darnold upright.
The numbers reflect the issue: Seattle sits 21st in pass-block win rate at 46.8%, and in losses to the 49ers and Denver Broncos the line gave up 10 sacks and 26 quarterback hits. The unit looked much steadier against Kansas City, though, when Darnold wasn’t sacked and absorbed only two hits in a 20-3 win.
The trade also adds another notable piece to a Seahawks roster that has already dealt with some turbulence this season. Seattle has been without rookie running back Jadarian Price, another Notre Dame product, for the last several weeks. Price is expected to return from injured reserve to practice this week and could be available for the Seahawks’ next game.
This is also another aggressive move from general manager John Schneider, who has made a habit of swinging big at the deadline. In recent seasons, Seattle has brought in Quandre Diggs in 2019, Carlos Dunlap in 2020, Leonard Williams in 2023, Ernest Jones IV in 2024, and Rashid Shaheed in 2025.
Nelson’s exit from Indianapolis fits the broader picture there. At one point this year, the Colts appeared likely to work toward an extension with him. Instead, the season unraveled, general manager Chris Ballard was fired, and Nelson became one of the first major names shipped out as the team heads into a rebuild.
The move ends Nelson’s run in Indianapolis after a decorated stretch that began when the Colts drafted him sixth overall out of Notre Dame in 2018. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight seasons and earned first-team All-Pro honors three times from 2018 through 2020.
At Notre Dame, Nelson’s résumé was just as strong. He played guard for the Irish from 2014 to 2017, redshirted as a freshman and worked on the scout team before becoming a major force in the lineup.
As a sophomore, he played in 12 games and started 11 at left guard, missing the Navy game and most of the USC game with an ankle injury. That season, Notre Dame averaged 5.63 yards per carry, a modern school record.
In 2016, Nelson started all 12 games at left guard and was named AP second-team All-American and Notre Dame’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. In his final season, he was a team captain and a unanimous first-team All-American.
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For Notre Dame, the bigger issue is less about scheme than execution. This is the kind of game where the Irish should be able to find rhythm and confidence again if the passing game sharpens and the key pieces do their part, but the matchup also serves as a reminder that progress has to show up on the field before it means anything. The setup is favorable enough to matter, and just uncertain enough to keep attention on whether this offense can finally turn a promising spot into real momentum. [Read more 🡒]