Home · Sports · Nov 10 archive

Chiefs Acquire Josh Downs in Trade with Colts

5:05 PM ETConfirmedShare via:          

Sports Desk

In Short: The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly traded for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, adding depth to their passing offense.

Colts TRADE Josh Downs to Chiefs 🚨 | TRADE GRADES. CBS Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly acquired Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs in a trade that includes sending a 2027 fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick to Indianapolis in exchange for Downs and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

According to multiple reports, the trade was finalized just before the NFL's trade deadline, with Downs requesting a trade from the Colts.

Downs, who has been a consistent target for the Colts, has 33 catches on 57 targets for 354 yards and one touchdown in nine games this season.

The move comes as the Chiefs look to bolster their receiving corps, which has struggled to generate deep threats and has accounted for just 46.0% of the team's receiving yards through Week 9.

CBS Sports analyst Adam Thielen noted that Downs should emerge as the No. 3 target for Patrick Mahomes behind Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, potentially providing an immediate-impact upgrade for the Chiefs' passing offense.

The Colts, who have struggled this season with only two wins, have been active sellers at the trade deadline, having already traded away key players like Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner.

The trade deadline marked the last opportunity for the Chiefs to make significant roster changes before the regular season resumes.

The trade also comes amid recent tensions within the Chiefs organization, with offensive tackle Josh Simmons reportedly being asked to leave a team meeting and subsequently placed on injured reserve.

What this adds

What's confirmed

• Trade rumors have been swirling around Chiefs Kingdom for a while, and now we know: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has reportedly been traded to the Chiefs.

What's still developing

• Arrowhead time, the NFL Trade Deadline will pass, and the league’s 32 teams will no longer be able to make deals with opposing front offices to acquire players.
• It’s the last chance for the Kansas City Chiefs to make a more significant addition than a free-agent signing, although the Cheetah — former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill — is still available and reportedly will be ready to return to play in November.
• Arrowhead Pride’s Brandon Kiley broke down a few more options in a trade-deadline article focused on pass catchers: This is the title for the native ad Kansas City may need to strike a deal for a receiver with the current state of the group.
• "Kansas City wasn't my favorite destination for Josh Downs, but this move gives him the chance to remain a starter in three-receiver leagues, especially if Xavier Worthy (hamstring) has an extended absence after getting hurt in Week 9 against the Jets. Downs should eventually emerge as the No. 3 target for Patrick Mahomes behind Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, and this is clearly a quarterback upgrade for Downs with Mahomes over Daniel Jones. As long as Mahomes (elbow) is healthy for Week 10 at Atlanta, Downs will be ranked as a potential top-30 Fantasy receiver in most formats."
• Downs was not much of a field-stretcher during his time with the Colts, seeing just 21 targets of 20-plus yards over the last three seasons in Indianapolis per NFL Next Gen Stats, but perhaps his arrival will either come with an expansion of his role or allow the existing receivers to run deeper routes.
• The downfield attack is not nearly as prolific as it was during the height of the Chiefs' offensive dominance.
• The Colts emerged as the biggest sellers of the deadline following a two-win start to the season.
• There are only five healthy receivers on the roster, including Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who the team signed from its practice squad in the midst of its deadline day trade flurry.
• Downs is the second Colts receiver to be moved in the hours leading up to the NFL trade deadline and follows Keenan Allen (who is headed to the San Francisco 49ers ) as another casualty of the franchise's commitment to a rebuild.
• Earlier this season, the Chiefs' best deep threat was receiver Tyquan Thornton, who suffered a dislocated left ankle that required surgery.
• He began thinking about what the Colts would do from the Kansas City Chiefs' 17-yard line while staring down a three-point deficit in overtime.
• Josh Simmons was reportedly asked to leave a team meeting the day before being placed on IR Andy Reid reportedly called out Simmons for sitting with his feet up before a back-and-forth Quarterback Patrick Mahomes reportedly stepped in and backed up Reid after the disruption Simmons left the room but stayed at the facility and later apologized to Reid, Mahomes and other team leaders, it is claimed.

Sources

• Arrowhead Pridelink
• CBS Sportslink
• Colts.comlink
• Espnlink
• NBC Sportslink
• NFL.comlink
• Yardbarkerlink
• Coltslink
• Dailymaillink
• Nfltraderumorslink
• Weblink
• Ftnfantasylink
• CBS Sportslink
• Heavylink
• Newsweeklink
• Sbnationlink
• CBS Sports — video link
• NFL on ESPN — video link
• Jackson Krueger Sports — video link
• Show Me Football — video link