Johnny Golden ‘28
Guest Writer
In the early slate on Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts headed to Jacksonville to face their division rivals, the Jaguars, who sit atop the AFC South. The result? The Jaguars embarrassed the Colts, putting up 42 points while allowing only 7, handing Indianapolis its sixth loss of the season. This loss was the Colts’ largest defeat in nearly four years. While losing is nothing new for the Colts, Sunday’s game looked different than most, particularly in the trenches.
Before the game, the Colts traded two long-time captains, left guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, to the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers respectively. Both veteran linemen were on expiring deals, meaning the Colts would not have gotten anything for Nelson or Buckner if they were allowed to walk in free agency. Instead, the Colts received a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick for Nelson and a 2027 fourth-round pick for Buckner. However, many Colts fans believe this is far too little for Pro-Bowl caliber players, as Indianapolis used a first-round pick to draft Nelson in 2018 and sent a first-round pick to the 49ers to acquire Buckner in 2020. These trades came following the departure of general manager Chris Ballard, on Oct. 19, who was also responsible for bringing in Nelson and Buckner initially. Assistant general manager, Ed Dodds, has taken over as interim general manager.
Colts’ CEO and Owner, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, stated on the morning of Oct. 19 that, “Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now.” This work includes regaining draft capital. Last season, the Colts looked as if they could compete for a Super Bowl early in the season. As part of a “win now” approach, Ballard sent a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the New York Jets to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner. Since that trade, the Colts have gone 3-12, finishing 8-9 after starting 7-2 and missing the playoffs. Sauce Gardner has earned a 57.4 PFF grade this year, ranking 66th out of 102 qualified defensive backs. Comparatively, Adonai Mitchell has earned an 80.2 PFF grade, ranking 16th out of 78 qualified wide receivers. Mitchell was sent to the Jets after a self-inflicted goal-line fumble in Week 4 of the 2025 season against the Rams, which drew significant online scrutiny.
Colts’ rookie, Jalen Farmer, took over as starting left guard on Sunday. Indianapolis drafted Farmer in the third round from the University of Kentucky in the 2026 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for Farmer, he has size 15 shoes to fill on the offensive line, and he may not be quite ready to take over. Farmer earned a 36.4 PFF grade on Sunday, making him one of the league’s lowest-graded linemen this week. He allowed 3 pressures and earned a 49.4 pass blocking grade. However, Farmer primarily struggled in the run game, allowing 2 defensive stops and earning a 41.8 run-blocking grade. The rest of the offensive line did not do much better. The unit allowed Jones to be sacked 3 times while the Jaguars’ defensive line generated a 43.2% pressure rate. This may have contributed to Jones’s underwhelming performance.
Daniel Jones seemed to revert to his Giants’ form on Sunday, completing 19/28 (67.9%) passes for 144 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. One interception was a 92-yard pick-six by Jaguars safety Rayuan Lane III, a second-year player from Navy. His lone touchdown came on a 6-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Downs, who requested a trade after the departure of Nelson and Buckner. He started and played 46 out of 61 (75%) offensive snaps, catching 4 of his 5 targets for 23 receiving yards despite his request. Downs has become the team’s primary receiver since Alec Pierce was placed on IR after reinjuring his Achilles.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has tried his best not to let recent trade rumors affect him. Before the game on Sunday, Taylor stated during a press conference that, “I haven’t heard anything. I can’t control that. Obviously, like you guys know, I’m always proud to wear the horseshoe, proud to be here. Similar to Quinn and Buck. They were proud to wear the horseshoe, proud to be here.” This came after Taylor’s wife, Aryanna, went on social media to share her feelings of anxiety she has had regarding her husband’s status as a Colt. Following Sunday’s game, Taylor gave the media a much more honest outlook on the team’s situation, telling reporters that other teams may start “foaming at the mouth” when they have to play the Colts. Taylor, one of the league’s top backs, has drawn interest from several teams, including the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.
The Colts play the Cowboys at home next week, and it could be another loss. Both Daniel Jones and head coach Shane Steichen are on the hot seat, as many believe the Colts need a change to salvage anything from what has been a disastrous season so far. Despite previous struggles, some want Anthony Richardson to take over as the team’s starting quarterback. Steichen has continuously pushed back against these calls, placing full confidence in Daniel Jones. As it stands, the Colts have no first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. That could very easily change if the Colts decide to trade Jonathan Taylor rather than rebuild around him.
Copy edited by Annamaria DeCamp ’27
Featured image courtesy of Bleacher Report
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