Seahawks land All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson in trade with Colts
SEATTLE - Just days after handing the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season, the Seattle Seahawks are upgrading their roster.
The Seahawks are acquiring three-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, pending a physical, from the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028, a source confirmed to FOX 13 Seattle.
The deal was first reported by Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
The move comes as Seattle looks to bolster a run game that currently ranks 17th in rush yards per game and 23rd in yards per carry (3.9).
It's the latest big midseason trade completed by Seahawks general manager John Schneider. In recent seasons, the Seahawks have acquired wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (2025), linebacker Ernest Jones IV (2024), defensive tackle Leonard Williams (2023), defensive end Carlos Dunlap (2020), safety Quandre Diggs (2019) and tackle Duane Brown (2017) ahead of the trade deadline.
Who is Quenton Nelson?
Quenton Nelson is a 30-year-old guard from Holmdel, New Jersey, who was drafted by the Colts in 2018 with the sixth pick of the first round.
He has only played for the Colts throughout his nine-year career, has become a mainstay at the left guard position, and has become widely regarded as one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. He was a teammate of Seahawks safety Julian Love for two years at Notre Dame.
Additionally, Nelson has made the Pro Bowl in every season he has played in the NFL and has accrued three First-Team All-Pro selections.
By the numbers:
According to Pro Football Focus, Nelson has allowed no sacks this season. He also has an 82.3 run-blocking grade, which ranks 7th among all guards.
According to OverTheCap.com, Nelson is in the final year of a four-year contract that includes a $16 million base salary in 2026. With 11 weeks left in the season, it puts Seattle on the hook for $9.78 million in salary for the rest of the year. The Seahawks had $13.4 million in cap space entering the day, per OverTheCap.com.
ESPN also notes that the Seahawks currently rank 21st in pass block win rate and have allowed 10 sacks and 26 quarterback hits in the team's losses to the 49ers and Broncos.
Big picture view:
The Seahawks are projected to get five compensatory draft picks in the 2027 draft for the departures of linebacker Boye Mafe, running back Kenneth Walker III, cornerback Riq Woolen, and safety Coby Bryant in free agency, and for Nolan Teasley, who was hired to be the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings.
Teasley's departure will give Seattle an additional third-round pick, which means the Seahawks had an extra selection to use in the trade to acquire Nelson.
Seahawks dealing with offensive line injuries
Dig deeper:
The trade comes along with the news that starting left tackle Charles Cross is expected to sit out a few games because of an ankle injury he picked up during Sunday's win over the Chiefs.
Seattle's current right guard, Anthony Bradford, recently returned to play after spending time on the injured reserve list. Meanwhile, last year's first round pick, Grey Zabel, currently fills the left guard spot.
Nelson only played at the left guard position during his time in Indianapolis, but he did play right guard at Notre Dame, so it remains to be seen where he will be deployed along Seattle's front line. Zabel also played left tackle and right guard at North Dakota State, which gives the Seahawks options on how to deploy their pieces.
Corresponding roster moves
The Seahawks released guard Christian Haynes following the trade announcement. Haynes was drafted out of UConn by Seattle with a third-round pick in 2024.
Wide receivers Montorie Foster Jr. and Malick Meiga were re-signed to the team's practice squad, while fullback Jackson Acker, linebacker John Ross, and tight end Josiah Deguara were released from practice squad.
The Source: Information for this story came from social media posts by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, ESPN, Pro Football Focus, the Seattle Seahawks, and OverTheCap.com.
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