The Indianapolis Colts are about to go from bad to worse, and that couldn’t be better news for the New York Jets.
On Tuesday, October 27, the Colts traded away two key pieces from the roster: All-Pro offensive lineman Quenton Nelson and Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Nelson was sent to the Seattle Seahawks, and Buckner was sent back home to the San Francisco 49ers.
All in all, the Colts received a 2027 third-round pick, a 2027 fourth-round pick, and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
Despite these deals on the surface having nothing to do with the Jets, the only thing people could do on the internet was celebrate the green and white.
“The Colts are blowing it up and it’s benefiting the Jets more than anyone. Wild times,” NFL Insider Ari Meirov posted on X.
ESPN’s Field Yates described the Jets as a “sneaky winner” from these Colts trades.
“The Jets own Indy’s 2027 first round pick,” Yates said.
Yes, they do, Field; yes, they do.
Colts Might Not Be Done Yet
Those were two seismic moves by the Colts, but there is more meat on the bone.
More Colts names to watch ahead of the trade deadline:
- RB Jonathan Taylor
- WR Josh Downs
- DT Grover Stewart
- WR Keenan Allen
“Indianapolis is willing to listen to offers on everyone,” Meirov said.
If you’re a Jets fan, the mission is simple: root for the Colts to burn it to the ground. The more talent they trade away for future draft capital, the worse they get this season, which likely means the worse record they end up with.
Colts Record, 2026 Outlook
Indianapolis has a 2-5 record. Up next, they will go on the road to play the first-place team in the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2), who are coming off a bye week. Suboptimal.
Then, before the November 10 trade deadline, they have one more home contest against the Dallas Cowboys. That is a toss-up game, but the Cowboys seemed to find their footing on Monday Night Football to end Week 7.
Right now, the Jets, via the Colts, would hold the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, per Tankathon. That pick has a chance to enter the top five and maybe higher. This upcoming draft is expected to be special.
In Mel Kiper Jr’s latest big board for ESPN, he included seven quarterbacks in his top 25 prospects in this class. The Jets have been desperately searching for a franchise quarterback for decades.
This draft has a chance to deliver one right in the Jets’ laps.
Ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the Jets broke some fans’ hearts when Sauce Gardner was shipped off. Months before, he had signed a lucrative contract extension that would seemingly make him a Jet for life, or at least the foreseeable future.
While it hurt in the moment, it is proving to be one of the best trades in franchise history. They already got Kenyon Sadiq out of it, who looks like a star. If they get a quarterback out of it as a cherry on top of this pie, this will be even more historic.
Colts Blowing up Their Team Is Great News for Jets