Colts reportedly received multiple calls but decided not to make any trades
The 2023 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and while there were several trades made throughout the league, things were quiet for the Indianapolis Colts. However, that’s not surprising. For starters, Indy is in a weird spot where they aren’t quite sellers or buyers. Additionally, Chris Ballard hasn’t made many trade-deadline moves during his time as general manager for the Colts.
He made a rare deadline trade just last season, in 2022, and it was because running back Nyheim Hines asked to be traded. In exchange for Hines, Indianapolis received a conditional sixth-round pick and running back Zack Moss. Since the exchange, Moss has been playing like an elite running back for the Colts.
He currently has the second-most rushing yards in the league with 589, despite missing a game. However, Indy just made Jonathan Taylor the third-highest paid running back in the NFL and he has returned to elite form. That’s why it seemed possible that Indy could trade Moss away on Tuesday. Turns out, a lot of other teams explored the possibility.
Destin Adams of AtoZ Sports reported that multiple teams called Indianapolis about the possibility of acquiring Moss, but not with an offer that made Indy want to part ways with the running back. According to Adams, that was also the case with other veteran Colts players, but the franchise wasn’t in a selling mindset.
I've been told that Moss isn't the only player who has interest around the league.
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) October 31, 2023
There are multiple teams that were hoping the #Colts would sell low on talented players on expiring contracts now that they are sitting at 3-5. But per source that's not in their plans. https://t.co/PNGSyrQOi9
Colts decide to hold on to veteran players at trade deadline
Indy's decision not to trade away any players sets the organization up for a big offseason, as several key players are set to be free agents in 2024. In addition to Moss, guys like Michael Pittman Jr., Kenny Moore II, Julian Blackmon, and Grover Stewart will all be free agents. Typically, when a team isn’t contending for a championship, the team will trade players that it might lose during the next free agency cycle.
However, in Indianapolis, Chris Ballard is known to see things through. He’s also known for paying his players. Indianapolis will likely try to re-sign these players and keep them in Indy. If that happens, it would really explain why they weren’t traded on Tuesday.
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