Jim Irsay’s Flirtation with Trading for the No. 1 Pick Begins

I’ll give the Indianapolis Colts credit for this: They sure aren’t bashful when it comes to telling you what they want.

And I’ll give owner Jim Irsay credit for the most creatively subtle way to make it known that you have an interest in acquiring the first overall pick (so you can draft the Alabama quarterback your franchise covets):

So, it begins.

If there is anything I’ve learned in my year of being a fantasy team owner and known trader (they don’t call me Darth Trader because I like standing pat), it’s that the first step toward cutting a deal is establishing the foundation of a trade relationship. Irsay playfully laying it out there that he is a willing trade partner gave me a good chuckle.

But what if Irsay isn’t just playing around on the bird app. Keep in mind that the Colts have made it known that they have eyes for a quarterback change this offseason. First, it was GM Chris Ballard declaring he would risk it all to make a quarterback upgrade this offseason. A month later, we were watching Irsay spill the beans on the team’s draft plans — or, at a minimum, Irsay’s adulation of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. And this came on the day when the team hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen to be its next head coach while stating the goal of acquiring a young quarterback to develop. It all points toward the Colts’ desire to draft a quarterback, which is wonderful news for the Bears.

Well played, Mr. Irsay.

Moving forward, I hope Irsay continues finding creative ways to declare interest in trading for the first pick. Maybe send word by carrier pigeon. It’s been a while since anyone has sent a message in a bottle. Want to try that? What about a skywriter? I haven’t seen one of those in a while. Let’s get weird. And when you’re ready to make a deal, Bears GM Ryan Poles will be waiting. Phone lines are open now. Don’t wait!