Broncos Trade Pitch Brings ‘Franchise Cornerstone’ to Offense
· Yahoo Sports
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The Athletic’s Daniel Popper proposed the Broncos as a trade destination for Indianapolis Colts star guard Quenton Nelson, a move that would send longtime underachieving — and overpaid — guard Ben Powers to the bench.
The NFL trade deadline is November 10.
“Nelson is a franchise cornerstone in Indianapolis,” Popper wrote. “In his ninth year and age-30 season, he remains one of the best offensive linemen in football. Nelson is on an expiring contract, so the Colts would not have any dead money on their cap beyond this season if they trade their star left guard. The Colts could get immediate draft capital for the 2027 draft. If they hold on to Nelson and let him walk in free agency, any potential compensatory pick would not materialize until 2028.”
For the Broncos, that equation might be as simple as offering a conditional 2027 3rd-round pick that becomes a 2nd-round pick if Nelson starts more than one playoff game.
Quenton Nelson: Dominant Player on Terrible Teams
Nelson, 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, was the Colts’ No. 6 overall pick out of Notre Dame in the 2018 NFL Draft and, like everyone else in the Colts organization, has been left reeling since star quarterback Andrew Luck shocked the football world with his retirement right before the 2019 season.
Since then, Nelson has mostly dominated whoever is unlucky enough to line up across from him on some pretty terrible teams — the Colts have made the playoffs just once and haven’t won a playoff game since Luck retired.
Don’t feel too bad for Nelson, a 6-time NFL All-Pro and 8-time Pro Bowler — he will have banked an incredible $118.3 million in career earnings through the end of the 2026 season.
Ben Powers Reworked Contract in Offseason
In July, Powers agreed to restructure the 4-year, $52 million contract he signed before the 2023 season after struggling with injuries in 2025.
In 2026, he’s struggled with his performance. According to Pro Football Focus, Powers’ 52.8 overall grade ranks him 56th out of 76 eligible players at his position.
“Sources told 9NEWS the Broncos’ starting left guard accepted a restructured, one-year contract that will leave him with less pay but more of it guaranteed,” 9News Denver’s Mike Klis wrote. “A source said while the pay cut was significant, Powers will be still be drawing ‘starter’ money in 2026. Powers had been scheduled to earn $13 million this season, although none of it was guaranteed until he made the season-opening, 53-man roster. Now, it’s a training-camp battle between Powers, a natural left guard, and Alex Palczewski, a natural right tackle who filled in nicely at left guard for Powers last season. Powers, 29, is entering his eighth NFL season, fourth with the Broncos.”
It’s not the 1st time Powers has reworked his contract for the Broncos. Before the 2024 season, he added 2 void years and took $10.875 million of his 2024 salary as a signing bonus — a move that cleared $8.7 million in salary cap space.
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