Josh Downs might be the next player out of Indianapolis. The Colts traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner within hours of each other Tuesday, and receiver-needy teams have already called about the slot receiver, according to Jordan Schultz.
Bleacher Report’s Timothy Rapp named the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers as the top landing spots for Downs, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter put him on a short list with Buckner and Grover Stewart as Colts who could be on the move. Buckner went first.
Downs is in the last year of his rookie deal, and The Athletic’s Daniel Popper projected his remaining cap hit at about $1.96 million for a team acquiring him by the Nov. 10 deadline, as we noted when an analyst pitched him as a cheap slot upgrade. He has 26 catches for 307 yards on 45 targets this season after 68, 72 and 58 catches in his first three years. Here’s how the likeliest buyers stack up.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
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Kansas City has the most urgent need. Rashee Rice was out again Sunday with hamstring and knee injuries, Tyquan Thornton didn’t play either, and the Chiefs managed 3 points in their first loss of the season at Seattle. We wrote Tuesday that the offense has shrunk without Rice, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on NFL Network that the Chiefs have been calling around for help.
Downs fits what Patrick Mahomes is missing. More than 74% of his career snaps have come from the slot, and he carried a 75.4 overall grade through six games, 26th among 86 qualifying receivers, according to PFF. Rapp admitted Downs “isn’t an elite receiver by any means,” but a reliable underneath target on a cheap expiring deal is exactly the kind of move a contender makes in late October.
2. New England Patriots
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The Patriots have a Drake Maye connection and a thin receiver room. Downs and Maye overlapped at North Carolina in 2022, when Downs caught 94 passes for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Sports Illustrated’s Mike Kadlick listed New England among the best fits for Downs.
The need is real. Romeo Doubs is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, Mack Hollins is out with a calf injury and A.J. Brown has nine catches for 101 yards since coming back from his ankle sprain, which is why we argued his injury should alter the Patriots’ expectations. At 4-3, New England is still deciding whether to buy, which is the only thing keeping it out of the top spot.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh is 5-2 in an AFC North where all four teams are within a game of each other, and Rapp’s argument is about giving Aaron Rodgers another option next to DK Metcalf and rookie Germie Bernard. Still Curtain’s Tommy Jaggi also put Downs first on his list of Steelers trade targets after the Colts’ fire sale began.
There’s a history to work with, too. The Steelers moved up to No. 47 in a draft-day trade with Indianapolis to take Bernard in April, and they beat the Colts 34-22 on Oct. 11, so both front offices know each other well. Pittsburgh ranks third here because Metcalf and Bernard already give Rodgers two outside targets, which makes Downs a luxury more than a fix.
Whichever team calls, the price shouldn’t be steep. Buckner, a three-time Pro Bowler, brought back a fourth-round pick, so a Day 3 pick for Downs is a reasonable starting point. For a Colts team that just watched two veterans leave in one afternoon, it would also mean Daniel Jones loses the receiver defenses had been keying on third down.
More on the Indianapolis Colts
- Will the Colts Trade Jonathan Taylor? Contract Details Could Be the Deciding Factor
- Updated Colts Offensive Line After Quenton Nelson Trade Leaves a Hole at Left Guard
- Ed Dodds’ First Big Colts Trade Sends Quenton Nelson to Seattle, Where Dodds Spent 10 Years
- Indianapolis Colts Continue Fire Sale, Trade DT DeForest Buckner to 49ers
