The Indianapolis Colts are one of the NFL teams most in need of a bounceback from last season.
They got off to such a brilliant start, 8-2 at one point with a high-powered offense, before Daniel Jones started getting hurt and the season fell off the rails.
It puts a high degree of importance onto the 2026 campaign, which starts on Sunday for Indy against the Baltimore Ravens.
It also means that anything the Colts can do to make their roster better has to be considered. That includes the idea of a trade.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox looked at a bunch of possible trade chips around the NFL heading into Week 1, and he found one big fella that would fit the Colts.
Colts Trade Idea
Knox names Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. as a potential addition for the Colts.
Slaton is 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds, so he’s tough to miss.
He’ll turn 29 years old in October and is originally a fifth-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
He spent his first four seasons with the Packers before signing with the Bengals in the 2025 offseason.
Slaton is coming off his best season in the NFL. He started all 17 games for the Bengals, recording 52 tackles and 3.0 sacks, both career highs.
The Colts don’t have a ton of depth on the front end of their defense, and someone as big and impactful as Slaton would always be a welcome addition.
The Reasoning For Such A Trade
Knox lays out a variety of points about Slaton that could make him a trade target for either the Colts or a return to Slaton’s former team, the Packers.
“As part of Cincinnati’s defensive overhaul, it added interior linemen Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen,” Knox writes. “Their additions could potentially lead the Bengals to make fellow defensive tackle T.J. Slaton available for the right price. Slaton is in the final year of his contract and is set to carry a $9.2 million cap hit in 2026.”
The imposing Slaton is good depth for the Bengals, but he also might be surplus.
“With the Bengals looking to win now, they would probably want a player who can help them rather than a future draft pick, though that could change if guys like (Kris) Jenkins and (Landon) Robinson prove capable enough,” Knox writes. “And Slaton should have a strong trade market, as good defensive tackles are almost always in demand.”
The Colts have DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, two well-established veterans, anchoring their defensive interior. Beyond them, though, they could certainly use a huge presence like Slaton. More depth is never a bad thing for a contending team.
For what it’s worth, Knox speculates that Slaton would cost a 2027 fifth-round pick in a trade, or a different veteran player. It wouldn’t be too prohibitive to keep the Colts out of the running if Slaton does indeed become available.
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