The Indianapolis Colts finally have a great problem on their hands if you're someone like Shane Steichen. They went from having question marks all over the wide receiver corps to potentially having too many mouths to feed.
Adding Keenan Allen to the mix gave them a chain-mover to replace Michael Pittman Jr., and while banged up, Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren are both on track to take the field in Week 1 vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
On paper, that shouldn't make Josh Downs too happy. He's entering a contract year and looked poised for an increased workload. However, the Colts' slot specialist couldn't care less about his target share, and he trusts the coaching staff to put him in a position to succeed.
Josh Downs doesn't care about his Indianapolis Colts numbers
“Nah, coach gon’ handle it how he wants to handle it. So, that’s his responsibility,” Downs told the media.
In a time when all players are looking to get theirs and boost their stats to get a big deal, Downs is keeping the focus on where it matters. Ultimately, a winning season might help his case more than putting up empty numbers on a non-contender.
The Colts now have two bona fide third-down specialists for Daniel Jones. Allen is a proven chain-mover, and while he may not be that explosive or fast, his reliable pair of hands and his savvy route-running will draw some eyeballs on defense.
Even with Tyler Warren looking like the top dog in the passing game's pecking order, there should be plenty of targets to spare in Indianapolis. Alec Pierce got paid top dollar, but he's more of a vertical threat than anything else, so Downs should still be quite busy with intermediate and short passes.
The Colts usually run the ball in 40 to 44 percent of their offensive plays, but that might change in 2026. Jonathan Taylor won't have to do all of the heavy lifting, even though he won't complain about his usage and has proven to be more than capable of doing most of it on his own.
This team spent big bucks and made a big commitment to Jones because they clearly believe he can end this team's curse at the position. Giving him the weapons he needs to showcase his skills is the best way to put him in a position to succeed.
Also, this will be the first time in Steichen's tenure that he can actually put some weight on the signal-caller's shoulders. With Jones looking crisper after his injury and the Colts' newfound slew of pass catchers, this will be Steichen's most pass-happy offense since he took the reins of the team.
As for Downs, the contract will be there, and taking one for the team to play winning football will inevitably help his case.
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