The Indianapolis Colts are officially shutting it down and removing themselves from the running in the AFC South and playoff contention. At least their decisions earlier this week to trade away two of their most important players strongly suggest that.
After another brutal Week 7 loss, the Colts fell further behind at 2-5. A week after Chris Ballard was fired from his general manager post, the Colts traded eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and two-time All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers.
If the Colts make no other trades this season, those two moves alone signal a substantial shift that would likely continue in the offseason. That said, Indianapolis likely isn't done shedding weight, and more trades are coming.
The Kansas City Chiefs should be calling the Indianapolis Colts for WR Josh Downs
That's where Josh Downs comes into the picture, and there is one AFC Super Bowl contender who desperately needs wide receiver help and happens to be the perfect landing spot for Downs.
The Colts have to grant Downs's trade request before anything can happen, of course. The wideout requested a trade on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter. Until now, the only Colts offensive player rumoured to be traded has been running back Jonathan Taylor, and he could still be moved by the November 10th trade deadline.
The news about Downs is surprising; however, since he's in the final year of his four-year rookie contract, it sounds like he's not interested in sticking around for an impending rebuild. Downs slid into the Colts' No. 2 wide receiver spot this season behind Alec Pierce, who remains sidelined with an injury.
Suffice it to say that things haven't gone great for Downs in his new role. That said, it's not entirely his fault. The Colts' offense has been close to miserable all season, and Daniel Jones has not come close to what he looked like last season before his Achilles tear.
Downs can be a solid No. 2 target on any team, which raises one question: if the Colts grant his request, who should want to trade for him most? Scanning the NFL landscape, teams like the Los Angeles Rams come to mind, now that Davante Adams is set to miss significant time.
One other team, though, needs wide receiver help more than the Rams do: the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, they desperately need help because Xavier Worthy still isn't living up to his billing; their only deep threat, Tyquan Thornton, is done for the season, and while Rashee Rice is expected back soon, his reliability is in question.
Patrick Mahomes needs help, and Downs is the perfect wideout to help him. Downs is also a much more realistic trade option for the Chiefs. He can slide into the slot position to give Mahomes a solid mid-field threat, and Downs is also a solid yards-after-catch player.
The Chiefs are gunning for the Super Bowl this season after missing out last year. They have their running back in Kenneth Walker III and Mahomes, of course, but they need another weapon to rely on. Downs is a realistic target, and they should be calling the Colts today, hoping they say yes to Downs' trade request.
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