A trick exists to playing in Indiana. A team needs to be really good, or a player somehow special or outspoken, to get national notice. The Indianapolis Colts, for instance, got lots of love when Peyton Manning was quarterback, but were still overshadowed by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
This relates to current Indy wide receiver Josh Downs in that Colts fans know what he is capable of, and that is a lot of goodness. Nationally, Downs is hidden a bit by the re-signing of fellow wideout Alec Pierce or the drafting of tight end Tyler Warren last year. Downs is worthy of attention, however.
The 2026 season could be the year he forces a national audience to pay attention. In recent seasons, Michael Pittman Jr. often led the team in targets and receptions, but he was traded this offseason to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Someone besides Pierce and Warren needs to help pick up the slack.
Josh Downs might be ready to explode for the Indianapolis Colts in 2026
That will most certainly be Downs, who saw a dip in production last season. He caught a career-low 58 passes on a career-low 88 targets for a career-low 566 yards. For a player hitting free agency next offseason, those aren't the kind of numbers one wants to have in year three.
Heading into this season, however, Josh Downs doesn't just have a chance to be the Indianapolis Colts' WR2; he already is by a large margin. Pierce is expected to be WR1, but more because he was paid so much by the team this offseason than because of a long-standing high-end performance; Downs might see a lot more targets than last season.
His career-high in that area is 107 in 2024. That number could grow to 120 or more this coming season. A lot of a defense's focus is going to go toward trying to stop Alec Pierce from beating them deep and Tyler Warren from delivering knock-out blows across the middle of the field. Downs could have a bunch of open looks.
Getting to 95 catches and nearly 1,000 yards is definitely realistic. Moreover, those kinds of statistics might be needed by an Indianapolis Colts offense in search of players to replace Michael Pittman. The depth behind Downs is iffy and might not be very good.
This might put more pressure on Josh Downs to be elite in 2026, but he also has an extra layer of motivation. If he can perform well, the Colts or some other team will pay him a lot of money in free agency next year.
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