* DeForest Buckner, a 32-year-old defensive lineman on an expiring contract, represents the Colts' most tradeable quality asset.
* Replenishing draft picks lost to the Jets trade should be the priority for incoming leadership to build a competitive roster.
* Jonathan Taylor remains elite but could fetch significant picks if the team commits fully to a lengthy rebuild.
Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
**Exploring Seven Colts Trade Deadline Candidates**
**INDIANAPOLIS –** If nothing else, Sunday’s Colts loss to the Vikings should have provided more clarity in what needs to be done in the next two weeks.
The 2026 trade deadline is November 19th, meaning the 2-5 Colts will have 2 more games (at Jaguars, Cowboys) before that important date arrives.
In recent years, the NFL has pushed the trade deadline date later into the season, trying to create some more “buying/selling” definition for teams.
For the Colts, there’s no debate where they lie in 2026.
They should, arguably, **[be the biggest seller out there](https://1075thefan.com/734574/colts-firing-chris-ballard-now-was-beyond-needed/)**.
That’s what happens when you fire your general manager in October, start 2-5 and are on an early-season path to miss the postseason for a 6th straight year.
Below, we will examine 7 potential trade deadline candidates for the Colts.
Prior to analyzing those, it’s important to point out a few key items.
–**Replenish What Is Lost:** We know the Colts are sending their 1st round pick in 2027 to the New York Jets. And it really stings right now with that selection being No. 6 overall. That’s a gut punch for a Sauce Gardner trade which has not worked out. So, the Colts need to go out and replenish some of that valuable draft capital lost, and do so with a sale of players that are unlikely going to be part of the rebuild. While this is awkward without knowing the direction of the new GM, it’s the sad reality of how the Colts must approach the next two weeks. Yes, the Colts don’t have the current 6th pick but they do have the 37th and 74th selections. Realistically, what if the Colts were able to add a couple of other additional picks in the top-75? Having 4 selections in the top-75 would be much more attractive to not only a GM candidate, but also in providing some more important resources to actually rebuild with.
–**What About Compensatory Picks?** Some have brought up the compensatory pick game as something the Colts should play for the likes of Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, in particular. If either decides to walk in free agency next spring, the Colts would likely gain some sort of compensatory pick in 2028 (the highest comp pick a team can get for a particular player is at the end of Round 3). Remember the comp formula gets complicated because while you can gain picks from outgoing free agents signing elsewhere, those returning picks can be cancelled out if you want to bring in some notable free agents. One would think a new GM wants to explore that spending in free agency. So while the comp pick formula can make sense, I don’t see it as beneficial here. The new GM is going to want to spend. And the return of these picks, if they do occur, wouldn’t come in until 2028 (as opposed to 2027). So, take Buckner for example. If you can trade away a player who seriously flirted with retirement last year, now for a Day 2 pick in 2027, isn’t that wiser than trying to hopefully play the comp pick game, where the best return would be an end of a Day 2 pick in 2028?
**\-Any Untouchables?** In short, no. If you can fleece another team into a desperate time for buyers, you take full advantage. A new Colts GM will take a microscopic look at this roster, and all contracts. No one is safe. Couple of things to note, I’m trying to stay away from trading anybody on rookie contracts. Yes, you listen to calls on anyone on your roster. But for the sake of this exercise, let’s keep the rookie contract players (minus Josh Downs) for easier roster building.
**Expiring Contracts**
**\-Keenan Allen (Age: 34):** Playing a 14th season in the NFL, Allen didn’t jump off the couch in August strictly to pad a Hall of Fame resume. So even if the Colts can get some super late Day 3 draft pick to ship Allen elsewhere, it must be done.
**\-Josh Downs (Age: 25):** For several reasons, we did not see the Colts and Downs come to a contract extension prior to the start of this year. A return on Downs would likely be a pick in the middle of Day 3. Of course, saying goodbye to the pending free agent in Downs would put even more pressure on the healthy return of Alec Pierce next year. But that’s the uncertain situation the Colts have with Downs, as he plays out his rookie contract.
**\-Quenton Nelson (Age: 30):** One would be foolish to say a 30-year-old in Nelson is nearing the end of his career. But signing an offensive guard—no matter how great he is—to a top of the market third contract is not going to be every general manager’s cup of tea. Granted, keeping together an offensive line contingent (all other starters are under contract beyond 2026), makes some sense. This is a tough one when weighing key cornerstones to potentially keep around. Nelson’s expiring contract could be attractive to one team, but also risky from a return standpoint, knowing this is a two-month rental.
**\-DeForest Buckner (Age: 32):** When weighing everything around the trade deadline, isn’t Buckner the most quality Colts player likely to be traded? This is a 32-year-old on an expiring contract who debated retirement earlier this year. It’s no guarantee Buckner will even want to play football in 2027, let alone in Indy. His weekly frustration is boiling and he’s a player more than deserving of another legit shot to play for it all. Receiving a Day 2 draft pick in return for Buckner should be viewed as a win/win for both parties.
**\-Grover Stewart (Age: 33):** The longest remaining Chris Ballard draft pick is also in a contract year. Buckner and Stewart have been mainstays for the interior of the Colts defensive line for years. I’d be stunned if a new GM plans to make that continue post 2026. Does a Day 3 draft pick make sense?
**Under Contract**
**\-Jonathan Taylor (Age: 27):** Understandably, there’s a lot of conflict over a trade of Taylor. He’s one of the best players at his position and looks to still very much be in his prime, as the Colts re-signed him through 2028 for a reason back in August. Could the Colts find a similar trade package to what the Panthers got for Christian McCaffrey back in 2022 (receiving a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th round pick)? While Taylor is certainly a tremendous talent, would his remaining prime be wasted in an Indy rebuild, however long that might be?
**\-Charvarius Ward Sr. (Age: 30):** This is a sneaky one for me, given that Ward plays a coveted position and just flirted with retirement pretty extensively this past offseason. Ward is signed through 2027, but a dead cap hit of just $6.6 million is waiting next year. So that should offer some enticement if a team wants to view a trade as more of a multi-month rental. Realistically, a later Day 3 pick is probably the best-case scenario for Ward.