According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Indianapolis Colts starting slot wide receiver Josh Downs has requested a trade from the organization, after the team initiated a fire sale on Tuesday by trading two of its best players: DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson in order to jumpstart the now fully undergone rebuild. ‘
Per The Athletic’s James Boyd, Downs did little to dispel the notion that he requested a trade when asked on Wednesday during his post-team practice media availability:
Originally a 2023 3rd round pick of the Colts, the 5,’9”, 171 pound wideout has transformed into one of the better natural young slot receivers in all of football—and also offers special teams value with his punt return ability.
While not necessarily the most athletic wideout, Downs has sure hands, the ability to separate, and understands the nuances of leverage and running crisp routes within the slot. On the 2026 season, Downs has 26 receptions for 307 total receiving yards and 0 touchdown receptions during 7 games (5 starts).
While he is still plenty young enough to be in the Colts’ long-term plans at 25-years-old, Downs also is currently a pending free agent at year-end, as a byproduct of being in the last year of his rookie contract.
He probably see’s the writing on the wall as far as maximizing his production at wide receiver here, as Indianapolis could very well be looking at another new starting quarterback come 2027—for the 7th time in the last 8 years. It’s hard to build any consistent chemistry and rapport as a wide receiver with their quarterback position being a constant turnstile and in flux.
Downs and his agent representation are presumably hoping that they can find an upgrade at starting quarterback over incumbent Daniel Jones in the interim before next year’s free agency, as playoff suitors such as the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams are among the teams that are expected to be interested in acquiring him.
That way, he can maximize his value and potential earning power headed into free agency, and who knows, maybe even lock up a contract extension with that acquiring team before formally hitting the market.
