The Denver Broncos will not be acquiring perennial Pro Bowl left guard Quenton Nelson in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. As the Colts approach a fire sale before the NFL trade deadline (November 10), they have officially decided to trade him to the Seattle Seahawks.
It's disappointing enough to miss out on a blockbuster deal like this when it was available, especially considering the fact that Ben Powers has been the weak link on the Broncos' offensive line this season at the left guard position.
But it goes beyond disappointing and into the realm of unbearably frustrating when you see the price the Seahawks paid to get him.
According to reports, all it took to get Nelson off the Colts' hands was a 3rd-round pick in 2027 and a 5th-round pick in 2028. There's only one appropriate question in response to that information: Why in the world were the Broncos not in at that price?
Broncos missed out on Quenton Nelson trade at a discounted price
The Packers, Bears and Eagles were among teams that showed varying levels of interest in Quenton Nelson, per source. His market was strong. pic.twitter.com/pdy9AKomZ3
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 27, 2026
Before we give Broncos general manager George Paton a scathing review, let's acknowledge one possibility in all this: Maybe the Colts didn't want to trade Nelson to an AFC team.
That is possible, but the fact that the Broncos are not even listed here is upsetting.
Getting a player of Nelson's caliber for a 3rd-round pick in next year's draft is a complete steal. Adding a 5th-round pick in 2028 is one way to sweeten the pot without any real consequence, because that pick is so easily recouped in other ways.
The Broncos are currently projected to have at least 9 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, including a compensatory selection in the 4th round after losing John Franklin-Myers to the Titans in free agency.
They have some "disposable income" when it comes to their future NFL Draft capital, and even with the roster needing to get younger and cheaper in areas, one position group Sean Payton will never sacrifice quality at is the offensive line.
Payton's team-building philosophy is part of what makes it so shocking that the Broncos were not even listed as a contending team in the running for a player like Nelson, especially for the low price of 3rd- and 5th-round picks.
The Broncos could have assembled the best offensive guard duo in the entire league for pennies on the dollar. Even if there is a long-term contract expectation attached to trading for Nelson, it makes no sense that the Broncos wouldn't want that. He's just 30 years old and is an All-Pro caliber player.It
It doesn't help that Colts interim GM Ed Dodds actually worked for the Seahawks up until 2016 before taking a job with Indianapolis in 2017. The history between him and John Schneider likely became a factor here.
Still, if that was the asking price, it stings even worse that the Broncos weren't in the mix. In a Super Bowl window, you want to see the team be selectively aggressive with adding players to the roster, and that was one move that felt right.
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