The Indianapolis Colts won't be making the playoffs this season, and doing so would require a football miracle. The team cemented its non-playoff status by trading Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, but Buckner and Nelson aren't done with each other.
They will just need to see each other in a different light. Instead of teammates, they will be enemies. Each will play for a team potentially bound for the playoffs, but battling it out for the NFC West crown. Nelson was dealt to the Seattle Seahawks, and Buckner was moved to the San Francisco 49ers.
In the midst of Indy's sudden fire sale, the team has unintentionally fanned the flames of one of the most intense division battles in the NFL. Seattle and San Francisco aren't just vying for a playoff berth, but a championship. Buckner and Nelson are going to help them with that.
Indianapolis Colts just made the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers better
And honestly, good for them. They deserve to play for teams with a real chance of winning. The Colts don't, as harsh as that might sound. Indy might not be playoff-relevant for several seasons, but when they come out of this Chris Ballard-created mess, the Colts could be good for many years. That's the hope.
Even further, that should be the expectation. Teams don't move high-end talent, especially multiple players who fit that category, without a plan to tear down and rebuild. The question a fanbase has is whether the current front office is able to build well for the future.
Therein lies the rub. San Francisco has made deep runs in the playoffs with its current front office, and obviously the Seahawks won a Super Bowl last season. The management of those teams knows what they are doing. At this point, the Colts don't know for sure who their general manager will be in 2027 and beyond. Chris Ballard was fired, and Ed Dodds is the temporary fill-in.
If Indianapolis Colts fans want to pull for a winner this season and follow a former player, they could choose between Buckner's 49ers and Nelson's Seahawks. One of them is likely to be on the NFC West winner's roster, which could turn into the Super Bowl winner's roster.
Neither of the players is likely to return to the Colts, but they brought a lot of fond memories, memories that will be made for their new teams' fan bases. Indy might not be going anywhere this season, but former Colts players could be.
Add us as a preferred source on Google