The Indianapolis Colts' implosion goes on. Chris Ballard's firing was just the first step toward a new era, and with the team failing to get the job done in recent weeks, the writing had been on the wall for a while now.
With superstars like Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner no longer in the picture, it was only right that other veterans followed. Josh Downs didn't shy away from trade rumors and claimed to be open to anything, and he got his wish.
Per Tom Pelissero, the Colts sent the slot specialist to the Kansas City Chiefs with a 2027 seventh-rounder in return for a 2027 fourth-round and fifth-round pick. While this might not be the piece that takes the team's war chest to the next level, it surely beats letting him walk in free agency.
Trading Josh Downs was a win-win move for him and the Indianapolis Colts
Downs entered the season with lofty expectations. He was coming off a disappointing year, taking a step back to rookie tight end Tyler Warren after two solid campaigns to start his career. Now, with Michael Pittman Jr. gone and a new deal waiting for him, he was supposed to take a big leap.
That wasn't the case thus far. Even with a heavily decimated pass-catching corps, Downs was mostly a non-factor. He leaves the Colts with 33 receptions on 57 targets for 354 yards and one touchdown this season. That's an average of 49.3 yards per game.
Of course, to be fair, not all of his woes have been on him. Daniel Jones has been terrible this season, and the offense as a whole has left plenty to be desired. He deserves some of the blame for the miscues, and he should've been more reliable in the slot, but his quarterback rarely put him in a position to succeed.
Downs will now get an opportunity to get a clean slate for the final ten games of the season. He'll join a team with playoff aspirations, and he should have a big role right away to prove that he's worthy of a big contract in free agency.
The Colts, on the other hand, will at least get something in return for his services. They probably would've tried to re-sign him in the offseason if things had gone differently, but with this team most likely looking to blow it up and start from scratch, it wasn't in anyone's best interests to keep this partnership going.
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