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Colts Trade Josh Downs to Chiefs for Future Draft Picks

Updated 9:21 PM ET · 5:05 PM ETConfirmedShare via:          

Sports Desk

In Short: The Indianapolis Colts traded wide receiver Josh Downs to the Kansas City Chiefs for draft picks.

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

The Indianapolis Colts traded wide receiver Josh Downs to the Kansas City Chiefs in a deal that includes sending a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick to the Colts in exchange for Downs and a seventh-round pick from the Colts.

Downs, who was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, had 33 catches on 57 targets for 354 yards and one touchdown in nine games this season.

Since joining the league, Downs has accumulated 231 catches for 2,494 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The trade comes as the Chiefs, who have been mentioned in every trade deadline report and rumor, desperately needed to add another receiver to their roster.

Downs had a standout performance in Week 2 against the Chiefs, catching seven passes for 72 yards on nine targets.

Downs had requested a trade earlier this season, and his wish was granted just before the NFL trade deadline buzzer on Tuesday, November 10.

Downs expressed his openness to the trade situation after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, saying, 'I said I'm open to whatever, and if they want me to stay here, I'm going to stay here. And if they don't, if they want to trade me away, they'll trade me away.'

Downs will now join the Chiefs, who are looking to rebound from their first losing season since Patrick Mahomes became their quarterback.

Downs will catch passes from Patrick Mahomes, a three-time Super Bowl MVP, instead of Daniel Jones, whose passer rating ranks 34th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks this season.

Downs, known for his quickness and route-running ability, especially from the slot, has been a weapon out of the slot since entering the league, with 1,995 yards receiving out of the slot, trailing only Detroit Lions All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St.

The trade could lead to a second contract for Downs in the 2027 offseason if he builds a rapport with Mahomes.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• The Chiefs sent 2027 fourth- and fifth-round picks to the Colts in exchange for Downs and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

What's still developing

• That gives us a little data to extrapolate into this year’s trade deadline winners and losers.
• And who dropped the ball when it came to underwhelming talent and overpays on the trade market?
• Making sure someone tells Fowler that is exactly the sort of obvious move that a general manager would make to ensure the highest possible bids before the trade deadline.
• That means that buyers and sellers both have until Tuesday, November 10, to submit trades to the league office in an attempt to either cash in on depreciating assets or land some much-needed help.
• The NFL debuted a later trade deadline for the 2026 season, giving teams an additional week to evaluate their teams' chances for a postseason run.
• Let's look at what to expect from the Chiefs at this year's trade deadline.
• And now Downs has requested out, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler — if there was any doubt about Downs’ future in Indianapolis, it seems decided.
• The deal is as follows, according to Tom Pelissero : This is a solid, albeit unremarkable receiver trade for the Chiefs that is a little closer to being hopeful than landing a proven asset.
• Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, and Kevin Wildes ask if the 76ers can make the NBA Finals, and if the Kansas City Chiefs should trade for George Pickens.
• 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.
• One thing we didn’t get to mention in our story about Skydance film chiefs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein is that at least one source mentioned to us that, given the Optimus Prime-sized task of releasing 30 movies annually, the industry and general public is going to — unfairly or not — judge them by the first few films they greenlight.
• Tonight, he gets the second chapter of his NFL career started as he makes his debut for the Kansas City Chiefs against the Denver Broncos on ‘Monday Night Football.’ The Chiefs are looking to rebound from the first losing season of the Patrick Mahomes Era and will hope the addition of Walker will help revive a ground attack that hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt in 2017.

Sources

• CBS Sportslink
• ESPN La Crosse 105.5link
• Espnlink
• Heavylink
• Nbcsportslink
• Newsweeklink
• Nfllink
• Sbnationlink
• Sports Illustratedlink
• Ftnfantasylink
• Sbnationlink
• Coltslink
• Fox Newslink
• Clutchpointslink
• Yardbarkerlink
• Ngscsportslink
• CBS Sports — video link
• NFL on ESPN — video link
• Jackson Krueger Sports — video link
• ChiefsDigest.com — video link
• Tylertsports — video link
• The Scrambling Armchair — video link