Green Bay Packers–Indianapolis Colts Trade History

Green Bay traded quarterback Dick Flowers to Baltimore on August 27, 1953 for an undisclosed 1954 draft choice. Packers historical records identify the realized compensation as the Colts-derived fourth-round selection at No. 40, which Green Bay used on West Virginia fullback Tommy Allman. Allman never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, so the acquired pick produced no on-field Packers value.

Green Bay turned linebacker Marv Matuszak into guard Fuzzy Thurston in July 1959, giving Vince Lombardi an immediate building block for the offensive line. Thurston became a fixture on five NFL championship teams and protected the Packers’ power game for nearly a decade, while Matuszak spent two seasons in Baltimore primarily as linebacker depth.

Green Bay moved Alex Hawkins to Baltimore for an undisclosed cash price in September 1959 after briefly placing him on waivers. Hawkins joined the defending champion Colts and contributed immediately during another title season. The Packers received cash, but Baltimore obtained the more valuable football return, making this a clear Colts win at a restrained historical scale.

Green Bay traded quarterback Lamar McHan to Baltimore in March 1961 for the Colts' 1962 fifth-round selection, No. 65 overall. The Packers used that pick on Chuck Morris, who never appeared in a regular-season NFL game for Green Bay. McHan served behind Johnny Unitas for parts of three seasons, giving Baltimore modest but real quarterback depth.

Green Bay traded longtime defensive tackle Ron Kostelnik to Baltimore for a 1970 fourth-round pick, No. 96 overall, later used on kicker Skip Butler. Kostelnik played only 10 games for the Colts before retiring in 1970, while the Packers converted a veteran nearing retirement into mid-round draft capital. Butler never became Green Bay’s kicker, but obtaining the selection still gave the Packers the better asset-management result.

Green Bay kept defensive tackle Jim DeLisle after Baltimore withdrew its claim in exchange for a 1972 ninth-round selection, No. 215 overall. The Colts used that pick on Gary Hambell, but it did not produce meaningful Baltimore regular-season value. DeLisle appeared in nine games for the 1971 Packers, giving Green Bay the clearer return from an unusual waiver-rights transaction.

Baltimore sent Ted Hendricks and a 1975 second-round choice to Green Bay for linebacker Tom MacLeod and the 1975 eighth-round pick that became Mario Cage. Hendricks gave the Packers only one season before leaving for Oakland, but that season was exceptional: he earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. Baltimore's return did not approach that peak value, leaving Green Bay ahead despite the short tenure.

Green Bay sent veteran defensive end Alden Roche to Baltimore on September 6, 1977 for a conditional 1978 seventh-round choice. Indianapolis' official Colts history marks that pick with an asterisk identifying a trade canceled by an unmet condition, so Green Bay never received the selection. Roche was released by Baltimore six days later, leaving the Packers without a realized return but also without surrendering meaningful future value.

Green Bay acquired defensive back Dave McCloughan from Indianapolis on August 19, 1992, for a 1993 sixth-round pick that became No. 156. McCloughan appeared in only five games for the Packers. Indianapolis later used No. 156 as part of a draft-day move that helped obtain No. 92, where the Colts selected Derwin Gray. The Colts receive a narrow win based on that longer team-specific return.

Green Bay sent Nos. 57, 125 and 248 to Indianapolis to move up nine spots for tackle Jason Spriggs at No. 48. Spriggs made nine starts in three Packers seasons. The Colts selected T.J. Green, Antonio Morrison and Austin Blythe; Green and Morrison contributed starts, while Blythe's best NFL work came after Indianapolis waived him. Neither club found the lasting impact needed to claim a clear win.

Green Bay acquired linebacker Antonio Morrison from Indianapolis for cornerback Lenzy Pipkins just before the 2018 season. Morrison played all 16 games for the Packers, recorded 47 tackles and added a sack, giving Green Bay immediate defensive and special-teams utility. Pipkins did not establish a comparable Colts role, so the Packers received the more meaningful original-team return from the straight player swap.

Green Bay acquired veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin from Indianapolis in a straight player-for-player exchange for defensive lineman Colby Wooden. Franklin arrived with 132 games, 82 starts, a 2024 second-team All-Pro selection, and a Pro Bowl appearance, giving the Packers a proven middle-of-the-defense option. Wooden is younger and had become a starter, so the long-term result remains open, but Green Bay received the stronger established résumé at the time of the trade.