Perhaps John Schneider just needed to see that Super Bowl-caliber performance again.
Just two days after the Seattle Seahawks dismantled the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle's general manager made a move that not only propped open the team's championship window but also doubled down on his belief in this team's ability to go back-to-back.
The Seahawks acquired left guard Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick Tuesday, pending a physical. It's a clear win-now move for the Seahawks, who didn't look the part of the reigning Super Bowl champions through much of their first six games of the regular season, yet certainly did Sunday against the Chiefs.
Some of the keys to Seattle's latest victory -- controlling time of possession, avoiding turnovers and establishing a consistent running game -- will become much more repeatable with Nelson, who has earned eight consecutive Pro Bowl nods to start his career. He will immediately bolster an offensive line that has struggled since a breakthrough 2025 season, including allowing 10 sacks of quarterback Sam Darnold in the team's two most recent losses.
Nelson will likely play left guard, the only position he's played since moving into the starting lineup at Notre Dame 13 years ago. That would presumably push Grey Zabel, the Seahawks' 2025 first-round pick, to right guard -- he made roughly half of his 41 starts at North Dakota State on the right side -- while sending Anthony Bradford, who recently returned from an injury, to the bench as a top backup. Zabel can also play center, giving Seattle options in case of injury.
Once Nelson settles in, he should solidify Seattle's front five and help the run game -- which could soon feature a pair of banged-up backs in Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price -- take a significant step forward.
The trade doesn't come without risk, but the Seahawks are positioned to mitigate it. They gave up two draft picks for Nelson, but Over the Cap projects they will have five compensatory picks in the 2027 NFL Draft (one in Round 3, one in Round 4, two in Round 5 and one in Round 6) and a third-rounder in 2028, as a result of the Rooney Rule (after Nolan Teasley was hired as the Vikings' GM) and free-agent departures.
Nelson, 30, is on an expiring contract, and there's no guarantee he will sign an extension and stick in the Emerald City. But Schneider's history shows Seattle's in-season acquisitions usually aren't half-season rentals. He traded second- and fifth-round picks for defensive lineman Leonard Williams (2023), a fourth and a player for linebacker Ernest Jones IV (2024) and a fourth and a fifth for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (2025), all on expiring contracts. All re-signed with Seattle on multiyear contracts.
To a degree, whether Nelson signs an extension is beside the point, though it would be another example of new owners Vinod and Neeru Khosla making good on their commitment to keep the Seahawks Super Bowl contenders.
Veteran defensive lineman Williams, also in his 30s, signed an extension just a day after NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the sale of the Seahawks to the Khosla family. All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon inked a deal just over a month after the Khoslas agreed to buy the team from the estate of Paul Allen. Schneider has never paid an interior offensive lineman near the top of the market -- if he pays Nelson, that would be another signal that new ownership is willing to spend.
More importantly, this move shows that Seattle's decision-makers believe this team is capable of another Super Bowl run and should be supported as such, despite the Seahawks sitting outside playoff position as the regular season nears its halfway point.
There have been ample red flags beyond the offensive line during Seattle's 4-3 start, though.
Darnold has thrown as many interceptions (eight) as touchdowns, and he has committed at least one turnover in five consecutive games. Seattle's three primary running backs in Charbonnet's absence have combined for four lost fumbles. A true No. 2 wideout has yet to emerge alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the NFL's leading receiver. First-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury has faced increasingly heated criticism from fans.
Factors outside the Seahawks' control are working against them, too.
The San Francisco 49ers hold a 2 1/2-game lead over Seattle in the NFC West, thanks to their stellar start and a head-to-head advantage from a 32-29 win at Lumen Field on Oct. 11. Even with the 49ers dropping their first game of the season Sunday, the odds aren't in the Seahawks' favor when it comes to snatching the division crown.
And yet, trading for Nelson is precisely the kind of deal Seattle needed to make.
The Seahawks' path to the Super Bowl would be a bit more challenging as a wild-card team. Seattle has one more regular-season meeting with San Francisco on the docket, and the 49ers haven't exactly demonstrated in recent years that their key players can make it through a full season.
The Seahawks could very well catch the 49ers and secure their 11th NFC West title. If they are going to make a run, though, they must first listen to their own messaging.
"So many people are doubting that we're the team that we were last year. And we aren't the team that we were last year," fullback Brady Russell said Sunday. "We're the 2026 Seahawks."
To date, this edition of the Seahawks has been flawed, but loaded with potential.
The defense is again dominant, turning in a clinical performance Sunday against the Chiefs by holding them to their lowest yardage (213) in a regular-season game started by Patrick Mahomes. On offense, Smith-Njigba is at the top of his game and on track to break Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving yards record (1,964), as he was midway through last season.
And with Nelson, the Seahawks have added a potential Hall of Famer who is still playing at an All-Pro level.
Nelson is in the final season of a four-year, $80 million deal and will likely command at least $20 million annually whenever he signs his next contract. But this trade isn't about what comes after the 2026 season; it's about aiding this current crop of Seahawks, which shut down the greatest quarterback of his generation in a way we've never seen.
It would be a shame if the Seahawks' offense cost them the division and a shot at another Lombardi Trophy. Shoring up the trenches with a perennial All-Pro helps more now than any Day 2 or Day 3 picks likely ever will.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
