The Kansas City Chiefs finally have another weapon for Patrick Mahomes down the stretch. It seemed as though a deal wouldn’t be done ahead of the deadline, with Indianapolis holding onto their receiver — but in the end the Chiefs got in under the buzzer.
The deal is as follows, according to Tom Pelissero:
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Chiefs receive:
Colts receive:
This is a solid, albeit unremarkable receiver trade for the Chiefs that is a little closer to being hopeful than landing a proven asset. Downs has been largely unremarkable since 2024, which could easily be attributed to mediocre quarterbacking in Indianapolis that couldn’t take advantage of his best assets.
Downs is at his absolute best catching passes in the 5-to-6 yard range and gaining another handful off YAC. This is what he did well during his first two seasons in Indianapolis, and why he struggled when the Colts offense increase his depth by another few yards. Making a catch and getting met by a safety isn’t his game, working in open space is — and with Mahomes’ ball placement this should work out quite well.
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All of that said, this isn’t a home run deal for a proven weapon; it’s a solid move for an underutilized player they could breathe life into. Whether or not this is the kind of deal that can get the Chiefs over the hump remains to be seen, but there is a lot to like.
The Colts are a mess. At this point any draft assets they can recoup are something, and at least they had the foresight not to hold onto Downs the same way they’re doing with Jonathan Taylor. A complete teardown and rebuild is on the way in Indianapolis, and there’s simply a reality here that by the time they fix the myriad other issues on the offense, Downs’ game will begin to age out.
When you can take a player in the 3rd round, play them for 3.5 years, then flip them for a 4th and a 5th its pretty good business — especially when the player is unlikely to factor into your future plans.
