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The Indianapolis Colts may never employ another player quite like Quenton Nelson.
It’s nearly impossible for an offensive guard to develop into a known star, but that was Nelson. He was one of the first names that came to mind in this era of the Colts, and that’s not even a knock on the players around him — he was just that good.
Quantifying the impact of offensive linemen is often best done through anecdotes and not stats, because there isn’t much to go by to compare across eras.
The reality is that if you dig into it, Nelson is one of the best interior offensive linemen to ever play the sport.
He no longer plays for the Colts, though. Nelson was traded on Tuesday to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Recently, Nelson shared what Indy meant to him, and it’s worth revisiting now.
Quenton Nelson Comments on Colts, Indianapolis
With the trade rumors starting to swirl, Nelson was asked earlier this month what Indianapolis and the Colts had meant to him.
This is what he said:
“I love it here. I met my wife here. Really appreciate and love this organization. It’s been a long career here and made a lot of friendships and bonds here that I don’t take for granted.”
The Colts took Nelson No. 6 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame, and he has spent nearly a decade in Indianapolis.
He made eight Pro Bowls representing the Colts and was three times chosen as a first-team All-Pro.
Nelson will go down as one of the best players to ever suit up for the Colts, but at least for now, his time in Indianapolis is done.
Beat Writer Weighs In
One of the Colts’ beat writers, ESPN’s Stephen Holder, has some strong intel and perspective on what Nelson has meant to Indianapolis, so two posts he shared on social media summed up Nelson well, too.
The end of an era. This was Quenton Nelson last week on his time in Indy.
One of the best players I’ve ever seen up close. Future Hall of Famer if I have anything to say about it. https://t.co/3MOXuYoH9I
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) October 27, 2026
Frank Reich said once that Quenton is the best pulling guard he’s ever seen in all his years. And it’s hard to disagree. He is a 1 of 1 player. Incredible.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) October 27, 2026
That second one is particularly impressive. Reich has seen a lot of football, and he’s seen a lot of pulling guards. And in Reich’s wise eyes, there was no one better.
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Billy Heyen Billy Heyen is a Heavy contributor with focus on the NFL and MLB. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim's basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive work for The Sporting News, the Sandusky Register and Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men's national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. More about Billy Heyen
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