The Colts Just Hit the Factory Reset Button on Their Entire Franchise
The Indianapolis Colts have traded away Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Josh Downs, and Keenan Allen in a massive roster teardown.
HotTakes Editorial Team1 min read
Finding live odds…

The Indianapolis Colts just held a roster fire sale that would make a distressed furniture store blush. If you own a jersey of a recognizable player in Indianapolis, you might want to check the tracking number, because they are probably getting shipped out of town.
According to Adam Schefter, the Colts have officially traded away guard Quenton Nelson, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and wide receivers Josh Downs and Keenan Allen. That is not a minor roster tweak. That is a front office hitting the factory reset button so hard they broke the console.
"Adam Schefter reported the massive four-player trade haul."
The writing was on the wall after a tight 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but nobody expected the wall to get completely demolished. Nelson is packing his bags for the Seattle Seahawks, while Buckner is heading back to the San Francisco 49ers to chase a ring.
Downs reportedly asked out, and the Colts happily obliged, tossing veteran Keenan Allen into the departure lounge for good measure. You do not trade your franchise left guard and your defensive anchor unless you are fully committing to the tank.
This franchise has been wandering the desert ever since Andrew Luck shocked the world and retired. They have tried band-aids, veteran rentals, and half-measures, but this move signals they are finally ready to strip the house down to the copper wiring.
If you are holding any Colts futures tickets right now, they are officially just expensive bookmarks. The rest of the season in Indianapolis is going to look like a preseason rotation, which means opposing offenses are about to have a field day against whatever is left of this defense.
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Colts recently lost to the Cowboys 27-23.
Four major starters traded in one window.
What's next
The Colts will field a depleted roster for the rest of the season, making them a prime target for opposing offenses and a team to fade in betting markets.

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