Eric Edholm NFL writer Tue, November 10, 2026 at 10:29 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Just prior to the trade deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs acquired wide receiver Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts. The Chiefs will receive Downs and a 2027 seventh-round pick, and the Colts will get back fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2027.
Downs, 25, who recently requested a trade, got his wish and now will team up with Patrick Mahomes. In nine games (seven starts) with the Colts this season, Downs caught 33 passes for 354 yards and one TD on 57 targets.
Downs also had a team-high seven catches for 72 yards on nine targets in the Colts' 33-30 loss in Kansas City back in Week 2.
Who won this trade? Let's dive into the debate.
The Chiefs were in big need of adding receiver help. Not one wideout on the roster has either 50 targets or 300 yards receiving on the season. Downs, sharing the lead role in Indy along with Keenan Allen (and with Alec Pierce hurt), has surpassed both marks.
That's not to say that he instantly will become Patrick Mahomes' go-to target. But it's hard not to imagine Downs stepping in and earning a fairly sizable role in Kansas City's offense, assuming he can develop a relationship with Mahomes and pick up the playbook quickly.
Downs has primarily been a slot receiver in his career, although his work rate playing outside has increased slightly in 2026 out of need. It would make sense to put him in the slot, although what makes him, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy attractive is that they can line up in multiple spots.
Rice's numbers over the past year-plus have been slightly better inside, but Worthy has been far more efficient as a perimeter receiver in his career. That likely means Downs can take those snaps and do what he does best: run efficient routes, separate quickly and generate first downs. The biggest drawback is that Downs is not a deep threat, which was probably their biggest need.
This move also can help the Chiefs' punt-return situation. Nikko Remigio has struggled in that role this season. Downs has only returned two punts this season, but he has a very respectable 9.8-yard career average on punt returns.
The Chiefs know that Downs is a free agent after the season, and they had to be comfortable with the idea of this trade potentially being a half-season rental. Thinning out their Day 3 pick allotment stings a little, but the price wasn't that steep in the big picture, especially when you compare it to what the Seahawks paid for Rashid Shaheed (fourth- and fifth-round picks) and what the Jaguars dealt for Jakobi Meyers (fourth- and sixth-rounders) before last year's deadline.
This move is about taking advantage of a championship window with Mahomes showing he's recovered from his knee injury and Travis Kelce still performing at a relatively high level in his expected swan-song season.
Downs requested a trade and got his wish. The Colts likely weren't convinced they had to extend him, and Downs probably wasn't returning to Indianapolis next season anyway, so trading him now made perfect sense instead of waiting for compensatory-pick returns more than a year from now.
It fits right in line with the other trades they've made since firing GM Chris Ballard, shipping out one-time franchise pillars Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner and also dealing Allen. When you consider what they got back for Downs, which was two early Day 3 picks, it was a pretty fair market price.
Not having a first-rounder next spring from the Sauce Gardner will continue to sting. But with the trades, they've managed to replenish the cupboard a bit. They already have seven Day 3 picks to work with and are projected to receive two more compensatory selections in that same range.
Having those picks can allow the Colts potentially to slide up in the draft, and quarterback could be on the menu given the uncertainty surrounding Daniel Jones, even if Jones was not traded by the deadline.
They'll also eventually need to replenish a gutted WR room, but for now the Colts can see what they have in the likes of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Anthony Gould, Ashton Dulin, Deion Burks, Laquon Treadwell and, of course, Pierce, when he's back healthy again. It wouldn't be stunning if the Colts only bring back a few of these players next year, but the remainder of the season will help them decide who stays and who goes.
Source: Sports
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