After securing just two wins across nine weeks, the Indianapolis Colts have raised the proverbial white flag, and their latest roster moves suggest that they are throwing this season. The Colts’ front office has already conducted four major mid-season trades before the November 10 deadline, giving away four starting players in exchange for draft capital. And quarterback Daniel Jones was not pleased about it.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Speaking to the media on November 11, Jones admitted that it wasn’t a decision that the players had any say in. As the de facto leader of the team and its offense, he was unhappy to see so many key players leaving.
“I mean, honestly, you’re not happy to see it, right?” Jones said. “You’re a player, and you’re going out there competing and doing everything you can to win games. So you’re not happy to see a lot of those decisions, and — but like I said, it’s outside of our control, and our job is to play, be prepared, and play well. So, like I said, we got a lot of trust in the guys coming into those spots, and we’ll be ready to go.”
Jones’ frustration is understandable, since trading away key players is bound to make it even more difficult to play and win games going into subsequent weeks, especially when the trade removed their two most productive wide receivers from the roster.
But there were several reasons the Colts pivoted from their aggressive January 2026 mentality to mentally resigning for the rest of the season.
The move that foreshadowed their unfortunate 2026 situation was the team’s November 2025 trade with the New York Jets to acquire All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner in exchange for a 2026 and a 2027 first-round draft pick, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Coupled with Jones’ standout performance and a 7-2 win record, the Colts were convinced they would make the playoffs and possibly win the AFC South divisional championship.
However, their glory was short-lived. Right after Week 10’s overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, the Colts went on to lose seven consecutive games and missed the playoffs. Daniel Jones himself also suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which further decimated their contention.
After giving up their 2026 first-round pick, the Colts struggled to add standout rookie talent this season and have continued to struggle every week. This led Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon to fire general manager Chris Ballard on October 19 after his decade-long stint with the team. Ballard’s tenure was tainted with poor roster decisions and a 72-82-1 regular-season record with just one playoff victory. He also failed to properly develop draft picks and struggled with QB consistency since Andrew Luck’s retirement in 2019.
Jones was also blamed for the Colts’ downfall. While he alone was not responsible for the dysfunction in the roster and front office, it was his standout performance that prompted Ballard to pursue Gardner so aggressively, throwing caution to the wind.
However, since returning from his Achilles injury, Jones has failed to put on a similar showing. He recorded just six touchdowns for 1722 yards and maintained a completion rate of 60.3% across nine games this time, which is much lower than his 19 TDs for 3101 yards and 68% completion rate across his 13 games last season. This led to calls for the QB being traded as well, but in the end, the Colts decided to retain him.
So, by the middle of the 2026 season, the Colts were left with no other option but to start from scratch.
Which Teams Did the Colts Make Trade Deals With This November?
The Colts executed four major trades this season prior to the November 10 trade deadline. Rather than acquiring players, Indianapolis decided to focus exclusively on gathering draft capital for 2027. Among offensive talent, the team traded away guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen went to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick, while the Kansas City Chiefs acquired Josh Downs and 2027 7th-round pick in exchange for two 2027 draft selections: a fourth-round and a fifth-round pick. The Colts also traded away defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Niners, getting a 2027 fourth-round pick in return.
In place of these starting players, Jones will have to rely on Anthony Gould for slot receiver, while Ashton Dulin and Deion Burks, along with veteran Laquon Treadwell will see a major increase in snap counts and outside receiver duties to make up for Allen’s absence. Dalton Tucker is projected to start at left guard in Nelson’s place, with rookie Jalen Farmer serving as the primary backup.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero further reported that the Colts have declined to trade three-time Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor, suggesting that they are likely planning to build an offense with Jones and Taylor in the mix, and hope to utilize their experience to guide their 2027 rookies.