Liam Coen: Colts traded away two good players right before we play them, can't deny that

Published October 28, 2026 11:52 AM Jaguars head coach Liam Coen acknowledged that his team’s task got a little easier when the Colts traded away two of their top players, offensive lineman Quenton Nelson and defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. The Jaguars face the Colts on Sunday, and now it’s a Colts team that has turned its attention away from winning this year and toward building for the future.But Coen also cautioned that the Jaguars can’t allow themselves to be thinking about what’s going on with the Colts.“Obviously really good players that I have a lot of respect for. Quenton Nelson was playing some of the best football of his career, as was Buckner in a lot of ways — extremely disruptive in both the run and the pass, tipped balls, created some issues inside,” Coen said. “It’s two good players, you can’t deny that. But knowing what that team is going to want to do, this has to all be about our improvements, us getting back on track. Got a good division opponent that we’re playing at home, and the focus level, getting in pads today, has to be about our execution, our fundamentals and technique, because you can’t control that stuff and if you think about it too much it typically doesn’t help.”Asked if he thought the Colts might trade Jonathan Taylor, too, Coen indicated that he doesn’t think that’s going to happen.“You try not to get into that world because it’s just rat poison either way,” Coen said. “And also a part of you wants to beat good teams, you want to beat opponents that provide strong competition, as this team does.” Coen wants his players to remember that the Colts team that shows up on Sunday will be playing to win.“Philly a couple weeks ago had a lot of guys out and played us to the last second,” Coen said. “In this league, any given Sunday, we all know anything can happen.”