Seahawks trade for Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson from Colts

by · The Seattle Times

Making a big swing to solidify their offensive line two weeks before the NFL trade deadline, the Seahawks agreed to a deal to acquire perennial Pro Bowl and All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts, the team confirmed Tuesday.

The Seahawks are sending two draft picks back to the Colts — a 2027 third-rounder and a 2028 fifth-rounder.

Indicating the deal is official, the Seahawks later Tuesday waived guard Christian Haynes to make room for Nelson on the 53-man roster. Haynes was the 81st overall pick of the 2024 draft and started five games for Seattle this season at right guard when Anthony Bradford was injured but failed in several attempts to ever win the job outright.

The 30-year-old Nelson, who has made the Pro Bowl after each of his eight NFL seasons and also has been named either first- or second-team All-Pro six times, is on an expiring contract and can be a free agent after the season.

Nelson has played left guard during his career, the spot where Grey Zabel has played for the Seahawks since going in the first round of the 2025 draft.

The trade for Nelson could mean a shift in some roles on the Seahawks’ offensive line as they look to solidify a position group that has struggled with inconsistency during their first seven games, in which the they have gone 4-3.

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The Seahawks will have to pay a prorated share of Nelson’s $16 million base salary for the rest of this season, or $9.77 million. The Seahawks entered the day with just over $13.4 million in cap space, according to OvertheCap.com, and may have to do some adjusting to fit Nelson into that while keeping some room to get through the rest of the season.

The Seahawks are expected to have four compensatory draft picks in rounds four through six in 2027 for free agents lost in 2026, and another in the third round for Nolan Teasley being hired as general manager of the Minnesota Vikings, draft capital that makes them feel comfortable giving up picks for Nelson.

The Colts made the deal as part of what could be a fire sale for the team in the wake of a 2-5 start and the recent firing of general manager Chris Ballard. Potentially helping the Seahawks pull off the deal is that Indy’s interim GM is Ed Dodds, who worked in Seattle’s front office from 2007-16 before heading to Indy.

The Seahawks made the deal to add what was likely the best offensive linemen who would be available to upgrade the offensive line and specifically to beef up a running attack that may be the major impediment standing between Seattle and a second Super Bowl title.

Since entering the NFL in 2018 when he was taken by the Colts with the sixth overall pick out of Notre Dame, Nelson has been one of the best and most consistent guards in the league.

Nelson has started 136 games in that time, and has started all 17 games each of the past four seasons and all seven this year. He has missed only four games in his career, in 2021 due to an ankle injury.

He has been named either a first- or second-team All-Pro pick six times in his career, including a first-team nod in each of his first three seasons from 2018-20 and second team the past two seasons. Nelson and left tackle Joe Thomas, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, are the only two offensive linemen NFL history to be named to the Pro Bowl each of their first eight seasons, according to ESPN, and one of just four offensive players overall since 1970.

Nelson has been playing at that same level so far this season despite the Colts’ struggles. He has an 85.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, third among 74 qualified offensive guards, including the third-best pass blocking grade and seventh-best run blocking grade. He has not allowed a sack and just one QB hit.

The question now is how Seattle assembles its offensive line.

Nelson figures to slide in at left guard. Zabel has played all 464 snaps at left guard for the Seahawks this year and played 99% last season. Bradford is their primary starter at right guard, returning to that spot for Sunday’s win over the Chiefs after missing five games while on injured reserve.

But Bradford is in the final year of his contract and the Seahawks could consider trading him, or simply consider him as their backup at each guard spot, especially after waiving Haynes.

And while Zabel has played only left guard for the Seahawks, he had starts at every position on the offensive line except center during his college career at North Dakota State, including three starts at right guard during the spring season in 2021.

So a move of Zabel to the right side might be in the offing.

The trade also comes as the Seahawks wait to see how long left tackle Charles Cross may be sideline after he suffered an ankle injury in Sunday’s game.

Coach Mike Macdonald would not confirm a report that Cross suffered a high ankle sprain that could keep him out a few weeks, saying only the team would assess Cross as the week progresses before the next game Monday night at Lumen Field against the Chicago Bears.

Zabel started all 16 games at left tackle as a senior at NDSU, when he was a first team FCS All-American. Josh Jones filled in for Cross for the final 12 snaps against the Chiefs and also started three games there last season. But the addition of Nelson could give the Seahawks options in how they reconfigure the rest of the line.

The trade marks the fourth time consecutive year the Seahawks have made a significant move at or near the trade deadline.

In 2023, the Seahawks traded with the Giants for defensive lineman Leonard Williams. In 2024 they acquired linebacker Ernest Jones IV from the Tennessee Titans. And last season they acquired receiver Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans.

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Like Nelson, all three players were in the final year of their contract when the trade was made. All three signed new deals the following March to stay.

The Seahawks are surely hoping to continue that trend and add Nelson for the long-term to a line that also has Cross, right tackle Abe Lucas and Zabel all under contract for at least two more years.

But it won’t come cheaply. Nelson is set to be a free agent because he and the Colts did not agree on a contract extension before the season with the thought that Nelson hoped to be the highest-paid interior offensive linemen the NFL, a designation held by Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum at $27 million per year.

The question now is whether this is the Seahawks’ lone move before the deadline or if there could be another.

While they have made big trades each of the past three years, each year they only made one.

Many had speculated that the Seahawks could be in the market for a running back, including Nelson’s teammate with the Colts, Jonathan Taylor.

The Seahawks might be content to address the offensive line as a way to shore up an offense that has been inconsistent and bank on running backs Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet, who are expected to return soon.

The Seahawks are just 17th in rushing yards per game at 113.7 and 23rd in yards per attempt at 3.9.

Now the Seahawks add one of the game’s best offensive lineman to that mix in hopes of making a run at another Super Bowl title.

Seahawks make practice squad moves

The Seahawks re-signed receivers Montorie Foster Jr., and Malick Meiga to the practice squad Tuesday, releasing linebacker Josh Ross and tight end Jackson Acker to make room.

Foster made the Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster after a standout training camp and preseason but had played in just one game before being waived on Saturday when the Seahawks needed to make room on the roster for Bradford.

Seattle also later Tuesday announced it had released tight end Josiah Deguara from the practice squad. That could be in anticipation of re-signing Haynes to the PS if he clears waivers.