The Chris Ballard era as the Indianapolis Colts general manager came to an end on Monday. A 26-20 home loss against the previously 0-5 Tennessee Titans in Week 6 was enough for Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon to pull the plug on Ballard six games into his 10th season on the job.
Under Ballard, Indianapolis reached the playoffs twice (2018 and 2020), going 1-2 in those two trips. The Colts' 72-82-1 regular season record under his management ranked 17th in the league during Ballard's tenure. Indianapolis's five missed playoffs in a row (since 2021) is the Colts' longest such streak since 1988 to 1994, and the team never won an AFC South title under Ballard.
Now, the franchise is left to pick up the pieces with a 2027 rebuild on the horizon. The good news is that the 2027 NFL Draft is widely regarded as one of the most talented in years. The bad news is that the Colts don't have a first-round pick thanks to trading their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft choices, as well as wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, to the New York Jets in exchange for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner last season.
However, there are multiple ways for Indianapolis to recoup draft capital through veterans on tradable deals. Let's take a look at what a potential fire sale of three of the Colts' top players could look like.
DT DeForest Buckner
Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner all but demanded a trade after the team's Week 6 loss against the Tennessee Titans.
"I'm sick and tired of the same song and dance every year," Buckner told reporters postgame on Sunday.
At 32 years old, Buckner still has plenty of gas in the tank. His 4.0 sacks through six weeks are tied for the 10th most in the NFL, while his 19 quarterback pressures rank as the seventh most among defensive tackles in 2026. The Colts would be unwise not to make him available, as he is set to become a free agent in the 2027 offseason. What could his market look like?
For a player at his age and contract status, this could be one of his last prime seasons, but for legitimate contenders, that could be worth a third-or fourth-round pick. Teams who could be interested could include the Green Bay Packers (4-2), the San Francisco 49ers (5-0) and the Minnesota Vikings (5-0).
The Packers lost defensive tackle Javon Hargrave for the season with a torn Achilles, so it would make sense for them to place a call for Buckner. The 49ers make too much sense. That's where Buckner played his first four seasons, culminating in the 49ers losing Super Bowl LIV to the Kansas City Chiefs to conclude the 2019 season. He was traded to the Colts for a first-round pick in the 2020 offseason. San Francisco is going through its regularly scheduled injury catastrophe, which has hit their defensive line hard. If the Vikings want a mentor for rookie first-round pick Caleb Banks and another high-level contributor for defensive coordinator Brian Flores to get creative with, they would make sense as a win-now team.
LG Quenton Nelson
Colts left guard Quenton Nelson, an eight-time Pro Bowler and a three-time first-team All-Pro, is primed to be one of the NFL's most coveted free agents next offseason ahead of his 31st birthday on March 19. This season, Nelson is currently Pro Football Focus' highest-graded guard in the entire NFL with an 89.2 offensive grade.
He is a big fish who could net the Colts a second-round pick or perhaps a first-round choice if the bidding for his services gets frisky at the trade deadline. The complication is that he would be a rental or someone who would demand a top-of-the-market extension for whoever trades for his services.
Who could line up for him? The Packers, a team that has been playing mix-and-match with an injury-plagued front, have stabilized their offensive line with the same starting five combination. But they could be in the mix, since they're currently rolling with aging veterans they signed off the street to start for them.
If the Houston Texans (2-4), winners of two in a row, continue to climb, perhaps they would be interested. However, their asking price could be higher since they're a fellow AFC South team. The Vikings could be interested if they want to upgrade for undrafted free agent Joe Huber at left guard, with Donovan Jackson out with a torn meniscus. The 49ers, who are currently starting 2025 seventh-round pick Connor Colby at left guard, could make an all-in trade for Nelson.
RB Jonathan Taylor
The Colts don't need to trade three-time Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor. He is still just 27 years old, and he re-signed with Indianapolis on a two-year extension worth $44 million with $39 million in total guarantees in August. However, if the Colts want to jumpstart their rebuild in earnest, parting with Taylor now could perhaps net them a first-round pick. They could point toward the impact top-end running backs Kenneth Walker III, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and others are having all around the league as reason to demand a 2027 or a 2028 first-round pick in return.
Indianapolis could perhaps engage two AFC North teams, the Cincinnati Bengals (3-2) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2), in a bidding war. The Bengals are averaging the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (82.8) in the entire league this season, while Aaron Rodgers could use more support for the Steelers' 13th-worst running game (99.2 rushing yards per game) in what appears to be his NFL swan song.
