De Forest Buckner had seen enough. After the Indianapolis Colts' third straight loss, a 2-5 start to the season, the veteran defensive tackle was blunt about his frustration: "I'm frustrated. Same thing. We lost."
Buckner and All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson will no longer have to endure that frustration. Both were traded Tuesday, one of the most consequential days for the franchise since quarterback Andrew Luck's retirement in 2019. The moves followed the firing of general manager Chris Ballard last week. Assistant general manager Ed Dodds engineered the deals, presumably at the direction of owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon. Buckner is heading back to the San Francisco 49ers, the team that drafted him and traded him to Indianapolis in 2020. Nelson is going to the Seattle Seahawks, one of the 49ers' main NFC West rivals. Both were in the final year of their contracts.
The Colts have not won the AFC South since 2014, last made the playoffs in 2020, and have averaged 7.6 wins over the past five seasons. Despite the presence of standout players, the club's other shortcomings proved too much to overcome. Tuesday's decisions made clear that the Colts are closing that chapter.
The next phase will be a full rebuild, and Indianapolis must do it without a first-round pick in 2027, as that selection belongs to the New York Jets in the Sauce Gardner trade. The Nelson deal brought a 2027 third-round choice and a 2028 fifth-rounder from Seattle, while Buckner netted a 2027 fourth-round pick from San Francisco. The Colts are also expected to field offers for running back Jonathan Taylor, nose tackle Grover Stewart and receiver Josh Downs.
Indianapolis is projected to have well over $60 million in salary cap space next spring, and could create significantly more by trading Taylor or moving on from struggling quarterback Daniel Jones.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing