Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson
Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Quenton Nelson has officially been traded... but not to the Pittsburgh Steelers. For weeks, Steelers fans have been pounding the table for general manager Omar Khan to trade with the Indianapolis Colts for their All-Pro guard before the November 10 deadline. Instead, it was the Seattle Seahawks that made an aggressive move to bolster their roster.
On Tuesday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the Colts and Seahawks have reached a deal that will send Nelson to Seattle. We quickly learned that Indy will receive a third-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028 for Nelson in the trade.
And at the affordable price of a couple of mid-round selections, the defending Super Bowl champions just landed an eight-time Pro Bowler, a three-time First-Team All-Pro and likely future Hall of Fame guard.
Now Steelers fans are left wondering why their GM wasn't willing to make that deal with the Colts.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have been right to pass on a Quenton Nelson trade
First of all, there's absolutely no question that Nelson would have made the Steelers' offense better. Pittsburgh's biggest weakness on the offensive line over the past three weeks has been right guard Brock Hoffman—and we've quickly come to the realization that Hoffman won't be part of the long-term plan for the starting offensive line.
But there were several reasons why Khan was right not to throw draft capital at the Colts for Nelson.
For starters, Nelson has played almost exclusively left guard over his nine-year NFL career. Hoffman plays left guard. While Nelson is a savvy veteran capable of making the switch, it may have caused a setback in his performance. And the last thing the Steelers would want to do is move Mason McCormick again after playing so well at left guard.
However, that's hardly the biggest reason to ignore a Nelson trade.
The long-time guard is entering a contract year and wants to be paid as the top guard in the NFL. If he gets his wish, this could push Nelson's deal north of $25 million per season.
Meanwhile, the Steelers have upcoming extensions looming with McCormick and center Zach Frazier, so devoting significantly more money by trying to keep the 30-year-old Nelson around in addition may have proven to be too much of an investment in the offensive line.
Though the 5-2 Steelers could prove to be competitive the rest of the way and earn a playoff spot, spending a third- and fifth-round pick on a guard who might be a half-year rental would have been costly—especially considering that the Steelers don't look anything like a true contender right now.
There are moves Omar Khan can—and likely will—make at the NFL trade deadline, but landing Quenton Nelson wasn't one of them. I understand the frustration from the Steelers' fanbase, but maybe missing out on a Nelson trade was for the best in the long run.