Indianapolis Colts fans had big expectations for Josh Downs in 2025. He was coming off a strong second year in the league and looked poised to crack 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career.
Downs fell short of that projection by a little over 400 yards. To say that his season was disappointing would be a bit of an understatement, and it raised questions about his ability to step up after Michael Pittman Jr.'s departure.
However, Reggie Wayne wasn't surprised or worried about that. When asked about Downs and his outlook for next season, the legendary wideout explained that Downs had to take a step back to a first-round pick like Tyler Warren, adding that he'll be motivated to perform in a contract year.
Reggie Wayne expects Indianapolis Colts star Josh Downs to bounce back in 2026
"First, he came out healthy, that's good. And, I mean, it wasn't his final year, so he's alright. This other year, he might be pissed," Wayne joked. "... But it was expected to happen... When you bring a first-round tight end, he's the new toy, so he's gonna get all the action."
Like the Colts' wide receivers coach said, sometimes, things are as simple as "the first-round pick has to get more touches." Now, with Pittman gone, Downs will be expected to pick up plenty of the slack out of the slot.
Downs will be in a contract year, and he'll get an opportunity to earn his keep as the Colts' chain-mover, with Warren and Alec Pierce also seeing more looks. This is where he has to step up and prove that his breakout 2024 season wasn't a fluke.
Last season, he started 11 of 16 games and had just 58 receptions on 88 targets for 566 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 0.8 yards per catch. That was down from 72 receptions on 102 targets for 803 yards and 5 scores on 11.2 yards per reception in the previous year, and that was in just 8 starts and 14 games, and with a subpar quarterback situation.
Clearly, the potential is there. It might also be a matter of developing more chemistry with Daniel Jones, but that will only come with reps and with him proving that he can take care of business.
Also, there's no better way to motivate a pro athlete than letting him know that he's playing for his money and long-term financial stability, so we might get to see his best version in 2026.
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