Indianapolis Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon just signaled to the rest of the NFL that they are set to undergo a rebuild after firing general manager Chris Ballard. Irsay-Gordon ended Ballard's regime six games into his 10th year in charge. Indianapolis reached the playoffs twice (2018 and 2020), going 1-2 in those two trips under Ballard.
The Colts' 72-82-1 regular-season record under his management ranked 17th in the league, middle of the pack, during Ballard's tenure. Indianapolis' five missed playoffs in a row represent the Colts' longest such streak in four decades. Indianapolis never won an AFC South title under Ballard.
Now, the Colts are set to start over in 2027 with a teardown and rebuild ahead under a new front office. The pro of starting a rebuild now is that the 2027 NFL Draft is widely regarded as one of the most talented in years. The con is that the Colts don't have a first-round pick, thanks to trading their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft choices, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, to the New York Jets last season in exchange for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.
So who could Indianapolis trade away to recoup first-round pick or second-round pick value? Well, Quenton Nelson, an eight-time Pro Bowler, is set to become one of the NFL's most desired free agents ahead of his 31st birthday. This year, Nelson is Pro Football Focus' highest-graded guard with an 89.2 offensive grade.
He is a coveted, win-now asset who could net Indianapolis a second-round pick or maybe a first-round choice if the bidding for him heats up by the trade deadline on Nov. 10, just a few weeks away. The issue with a potential compensation package for the Colts is that Nelson would be a rental or command a top-of-the-market extension for whoever trades for him. So who could line up to be Nelson's new NFL landing spot?
It appeared as though the New York Giants' 2026 season was cooked with Jaxson Dart and Brian Burns going down in the first three weeks of the season. Fast forward to the end of the first third of the year, and the Giants remain in first place in the NFC East because it's the NFC Least. This year's NFC East became the first division ever to go winless in consecutive weeks.
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