The Indianapolis Colts made a franchise-altering decision when they opted to trade quarterback Carson Wentz, who they had just acquired via trade last offseason, to the Washington Commanders. The team then acquired Atlanta Falcons veteran Matt Ryan to be their next signal-caller. However, given the big-name quarterbacks who were on the trade block this offseason, there's a sense that the Colts could have gone bigger at the position. Owner Jim Irsay spoke to reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday and dropped a bombshell revelation on the Colts' quarterback trade chase, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

Irsay came clean and said that the Colts were in “a long dark tunnel” with Carson Wentz at quarterback. The franchise knew they needed to move on from the former Philadelphia Eagles QB, but they didn't have a backup plan.

The Colts owner declined to name the player but shockingly said that they were prepared to trade two first-round picks for a “young” franchise quarterback. It sounds like Indianapolis was considering a long-term option at the position and very nearly took a big swing by shipping away two first-round selections.

Judging by the cost, Irsay and the Colts were likely looking to make a Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson-like splash before ultimately deciding to go with a more short-term option, such as Ryan.

Ryan is a capable veteran who has won an MVP and made it to the Super Bowl. However, it's intriguing to imagine who the young franchise signal-caller was- and how his addition to the team could have changed the Colts' outlook.