Josh Downs wants out of Indianapolis. The Colts receiver has requested a trade, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday, Oct. 28, one day after the Colts shipped Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner out of town.
Downs didn’t confirm the request when reporters asked about it, but he didn’t sound like a player planning a long stay, either. “I’m open to whatever comes my way,” he said, according to the Indianapolis Star, which also reported the request. He added that he’ll keep showing up and playing for the Colts until a deal gets done. The Colts are 2-5 and face the Jaguars this weekend.
So, how did we get here?
Fast. The Colts fired longtime general manager Chris Ballard after a loss to the Titans, and the teardown started almost immediately. On Tuesday, they sent Nelson, their left guard, to Seattle for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth, then dealt Buckner back to the 49ers for a 2027 fourth-rounder, ESPN reported. The trade deadline is Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. ET.
Downs, 25, is in the last year of his rookie contract. The 2023 third-round pick has 224 catches for 2,447 yards and 11 touchdowns in three-plus seasons, per the Star. This year has been rough, though: 26 catches, 307 yards, no touchdowns and a career-low 56.5% catch rate, with defenses keying on him and inconsistent quarterback play from Daniel Jones.
What about Jonathan Taylor?
Head coach Shane Steichen answered that one with a flat no when asked if his star running back had requested a trade. Multiple teams have shown interest in Taylor, according to ESPN, but Steichen called the trade talk “hypothetical things right now” and said Taylor is part of the team. He wouldn’t say whether Nelson or Buckner had asked out before they were moved.
Why it matters
McGraw Media’s read: once a front office starts selling, the players with expiring deals do the math, and Downs reportedly did his within 24 hours of the Nelson and Buckner deals. That’s not a character knock. It’s a PR reality the Colts created when they sold two veteran cornerstones in one afternoon, about a week after firing their GM. A 25-year-old receiver in the final year of his rookie deal is exactly what contenders shop for at the deadline, so the request mostly speeds up a conversation Indianapolis was probably going to have anyway. The bigger test for the Colts is the message to the guys who stay. Steichen can say Taylor is on the team, and that’s true today. Mind you, nobody in that locker room is taking “today” for granted anymore.
This story was drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked by McGraw Media.
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