An influx of wide receiver talent is heading to the Kansas City Chiefs offense, as the team agreed to terms with the Indianapolis Colts on a trade for wide receiver Josh Downs. According to ESPN, the Chiefs will receive Downs and a 2027 seventh-round pick and return a 2027 fourth- and fifth-rounder to Indianapolis.
The Chiefs get an immediate-impact upgrade for their passing attack, which lacks depth and has become more one-dimensional than at any point in the Patrick Mahomes era. Mahomes now has another weapon to use alongside Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and his stable of tight ends that includes Travis Kelce.
Kansas City has the 10th best passing attack in the NFL, but is more reliant on yards after the catch than any team in football. The on-field offense isn’t as prolific as it was during the height of the Chiefs’ offensive dominance. Downs wasn’t much of a stretcher on the field during his time with the Colts, seeing just 21 targets of 20-plus yards over the past three seasons in Indianapolis according to NFL Next Gen Stats, but perhaps his arrival will come with an expansion of his role or allow existing receivers to run deeper routes.
Chiefs receivers accounted for just 46.0% of the team’s receiving yards through Week 9, which marked the second-lowest rate of any team, ahead of only the Las Vegas Raiders at 36.8%, according to Next Gen Stats.
The concerning state of Kansas City’s passing game has also led to the reliance on running back Kenneth Walker III as both a ball carrier and receiver. He is the second-leading rusher in the league and last week against the New York Jets he recorded his first career game with multiple receiving touchdowns. Any additions to the receiving unit should help take some of the pressure off the Chiefs’ prized running back while potentially opening up bigger opportunities for him in the running game as defenses respect the pass more.
Downs is the second Colts receiver to be moved in the hours leading up to the NFL trade deadline and follows Keenan Allen (who is headed to the San Francisco 49ers) as another casualty of the franchise’s commitment to a rebuild. The Colts became the biggest sellers of the deadline after a two-win start to the season.
Indianapolis parted ways with four players on expiring contracts and thus gained draft capital for stars who were likely to leave in free agency anyway. Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Allen and Downs have given the Colts a plethora of picks they can use to rebuild their roster from the ground up under a new general manager who has yet to be hired.
The fire sale leaves the Colts wide receiver group barren. There are only five healthy receivers on the roster, including Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who the team signed from its practice squad amid its trade flurry on deadline day. These active receptors are as follows:
Stretcher standout Alec Pierce is expected to return from injured reserve at some point this season, but the Colts have no reason to return him to action as they head toward a losing campaign.
Fantasy football impact of Josh Downs trade
Downs is the No. 42 receiver in fantasy football for nine weeks, but is ready to make a potential leap toward relevance beyond a flex role. CBS Sports Senior Writer Jamey Eisenberg discussed how this trade could make Downs a more viable starting option.
“Kansas City wasn’t my preferred destination for Josh Downs, but this move gives him the chance to remain a starter in three-receiver leagues, especially if Xavier Worthy (hamstring) has an extended absence after being injured in Week 9 against the Jets. Downs should eventually become Patrick Mahomes’ No. 3 target behind Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, and this is clearly a quarterback upgrade for Downs with Mahomes over Daniel Jones As long as Mahomes (elbow) is healthy for Week 10 in Atlanta, Downs will be ranked among the top 30 fantasy receivers in most formats” –Eisenberg.
You can follow the latest news on trade deadlines via the CBS Sports live blog.
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