TRADE: Colts Deal Disgruntled Josh Downs to Chiefs

After wide receiver Josh Downs recently requested a trade from the Indianapolis Colts, the team is honoring his wishes and shipping the fourth-year wide receiver out to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Along with Downs, the Colts are sending a seventh-round draft pick in 2027 in exchange for a fourth and fifth-round pick in 2027.

Over the last month, the Colts have begun preparing for a rebuild, firing general manager Chris Ballard and trading All-Pros Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. With the team at 2-7 and spiraling into a sixth straight season without a playoff appearance, Downs made it clear he wanted out.

This is the second underwhelming season in a row for Downs, whose career with the Colts began hot after being drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

He caught 140 passes for 1,574 yards (11.2 avg.) and seven touchdowns in his first two years (31 games) compared to just 91 catches for 920 yards (10.1 avg.) and five touchdowns in the year and a half (25 games) since.

This was supposed to be Downs' big breakout season after Michael Pittman Jr. was traded, and Downs was to play Robin to Alec Pierce's Batman. Even after Pierce landed on Injured Reserve after reaggravating his surgically repaired heel, which made Downs the team's top receiving option, he has underwhelmed.

Downs was targeted 6.3 times per game in 2026, caught just 3.7 passes for 39.3 yards per game, and scored his first touchdown only two weeks ago.

Regardless of Downs' struggles, his departure certainly doesn't make the Colts better. Especially given that the Colts traded fellow receiver Keenan Allen earlier in the day. Allen's 40 catches and 58 targets were both first on the team, and his 351 yards were just three behind Downs for the lead.

The Colts will now lean on tight end Tyler Warren, running back Jonathan Taylor, and receivers Laquon Treadwell, Ashton Dulin, Deion Burks, Anthony Gould, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to execute the passing game.

While Pierce could still return from IR this season, the Colts also have receivers Mecole Hardman and Quez Watkins on the practice squad.

The Colts are now projected to have the following picks in the 2027 and 2028 drafts:

The Colts do not have a 2027 first-round pick as a result of trading for former New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner last season. The Colts traded their original 2027 sixth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills this summer for center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and a seventh-round pick. That is the seventh-round pick sent to Kansas City in the Down trade.