Pros and Cons of Steelers Trying to Land Quenton Nelson

The Pittsburgh Steelers are positioned to buy at this year's NFL trade deadline.

Wide receiver, inside linebacker, cornerback and safety make up the Steelers' top needs as they sit at 4-2. One position that's flown a bit under the radar in that regard, though, is offensive guard.

Mason McCormick's transition from right to left guard has worked out thus far, and Brock Hoffman has been about as good as Pittsburgh could've ever hoped for after entering the starting lineup in place of Spencer Anderson in Week 3.

Again, there are several other areas of concern on the team's roster that should be addressed before seriously considering acquiring a potential upgrade at guard before the November 10 trade deadline passes.

With the Indianapolis Colts potentially selling off multiple high-impact players after moving to 2-4 on the year and firing general manager Chris Ballard, however, Quenton Nelson is a name that could pique the Steelers' interest.

If Nelson is made available, what are the pros and cons of Pittsburgh potentially exploring a trade for the superstar left guard?

Pros

Any time you have an opportunity to add a three-time first-team All-Pro, three-time second-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler to your roster, you have to consider it.

Hoffman has performed well for Pittsburgh, particularly in pass protection, where he's allowed just seven pressures and no sacks over 257 total snaps (per SumerSports).

Nelson, as one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL, is on a whole other level, though. To go alongside his status as an elite run blocker, the 30-year-old has given up eight pressures and no sacks across 397 snaps for the Colts this season (per SumerSports).

It goes without saying that Nelson would be a massive upgrade over Hoffman and help transform the Steelers' offensive line even further, potentially making them one of the better units in the league.

Given that he's a rental and will reach free agency once the season concludes, the price tag won't be overly expensive to acquire him.

A 2027 third-round pick is nothing to scoff at, but for a player of Nelson's caliber, that's still somewhat of a bargain for Pittsburgh if that's what it ends up taking.

The Steelers won't negotiate any contracts in-season and don't seem willing to budge on that front, as we saw with Joey Porter Jr. before he was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys.

Regardless, bringing in Nelson and building that relationship over the back half of the year could help put the necessary pieces in place for a long-term deal once the offseason arrives.

Having Nelson help anchor the offensive line next to the likes of Troy Fautanu, Max Iheanachor, Zach Frazier and McCormick would add to an impressive infrastructure Pittsburgh is crafting for whoever starts at quarterback in 2027 as well.

Amassing that level of talent in the trenches would do wonders for the Steelers and make the entire operation on offense flow far more seamlessly, which is why the concept of adding Nelson could be so alluring for Omar Khan, Mike McCarthy and company.

Cons

Between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, McCormick played 1,929 snaps at right guard (per Pro Football Focus) while Isaac Seumalo held down the fort at left guard.

McCormick has proven that he can be a good starter at right guard, though now that he's switched over to left guard and is in the midst of arguably his best season for Pittsburgh up to this point, it's fair to wonder if switching sides in the middle of the year could halt some of his momentum.

Nelson is strictly a left guard and has never logged a snap at right guard (per PFF), meaning McCormick would have to move. With Hoffman also being a relative bright spot, perhaps the Steelers feel as though they shouldn't rock the boat and give up a Day 2 pick for Nelson when their guard play has been pretty strong over the last handful of weeks.

Furthermore, finding the money to keep all of the key pieces along the offensive line in place for years to come would be tough.

Frazier and McCormick will be up for new deals next year in the final seasons of their rookie contracts. Pittsburgh can kick the can down the road a little by picking up Fautanu's fifth-year option and possibly delaying extension talks until 2028, though it will still have to figure out that situation at some point.

The Steelers also cannot acquire Nelson with the idea that he's just a rental. Sure, they could get a compensatory pick for him if he walks in free agency, but having a player of his caliber in the building and not retaining him would feel short-sighted and illogical.

While Pittsburgh is certainly a playoff contender, it's not quite a Super Bowl contender. As a result, bringing in Nelson, who's not the missing piece in the team's quest for a title, and keeping him for the back half of the season before moving on just wouldn't make much sense, regardless of the comp pick argument.

There are a lot of moving parts and some potential long-term uncertainty along the offensive line that would come with acquiring Nelson, which the Steelers may choose to avoid altogether by opting not to look into trading for him over the next couple of weeks.