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How the Josh Downs Trade Request is a Giant Gift for the Bears

It's not about Josh Downs for the Bears. The Colts continuing their urgent sell-off means Chicago can get other players for cheap.

Oct 11, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide reciever Josh Downs (2) looks on after the game against Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bears could indirectly win the Josh Downs trade request. It doesn't have so much to do with Downs, either. Chicago is set at the receiver position, with Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, and Kalif Raymond providing Caleb Williams plenty of potential and production in the passing game.

The Bears could win the Downs trade request by pushing the Indianapolis Colts for other deals amidst a fire sale. Indianapolis is in full tear-down mode following a 2-5 start. The Colts spent $256.6 million in the offseason to move the needle, and it has only gone backward.

Indianapolis already started the fire sale by sending guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers. The Colts have several players who fill a need for Chicago that Ryan Poles needs to capitalize on in the wake of the Downs news.

Cornerback Charvarius Ward and interior defensive linemen Adetomiwa Adebawore and Grover Stewart stand out to fill injury holes, while Anthony Richardson could be an intriguing buy-low candidate to replace Tyson Bagent with on the depth chart.

A Jonathan Taylor Trade Would Further Accelerate Colts' Fire Sale

Oct 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) practices before the game against the against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If star running back Jonathan Taylor asked out, Indianapolis would likely sell any veteran piece they have in short order to tank the rest of the season and start over.

So far, Taylor has been resistant to asking out and is still a key member of the locker room, according to Colts head coach Shane Steichen.

"Those are hypothetical things right now," Steichen said. "I know there's stuff floating around out there, but JT's on our football team."

There's definitely "stuff floating around," and all of it points to a continued teardown. Downs is obviously a goner, which is a good thing for the Bears.

The minute Taylor is gone, the price for most anyone else would drop. Taylor has enough value to bring in a king's ransom haul. Off of a Taylor deal alone, the rebuild would likely be in a good place for the organization.

If it were to drop the price for the aforementioned trade candidates, it'd be a boon for Chicago. Obviously, it'd be preferable for an AFC team to land Taylor, but you'd rather see the Minnesota Vikings lose that sweepstakes to keep him out of the NFC North. Perhaps the defending champion Seattle Seahawks, the Bears' opponent on Monday Night Football this week, could outbid the Vikings.

The hope is that Downs and Taylor fetch a strong haul, preferably far from the Windy City geographically. Then, Chicago's front office strikes.

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