Nobody prepares two brothers facing each other on the gridiron. For the Downs brothers, they had to do so during the Week 9 face-off between the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts. Days later, Caleb Downs and Josh Downs struck up a conversation on their podcast.

“There was a lot of emphasis on you, honestly. Just like because you were the motion guy,” Caleb shared on the Downs 2 Business podcast. “A lot of the routes were based on your timing, especially when you were clearing out and when you were running your overs and everything. I didn’t even practice much throughout the week. So I’m not even peeping, like, on the field unless they were talking about you. They just kept bringing your name up. I was like, I don’t know if this is just because you’re my brother or not. But it was definitely weird.

“Everybody kept looking at me when they bring your name up. And then they were just like, ‘Are you going to be okay? Are you going to be okay with guarding your brother?’”

Caleb and Josh Downs are around three and a half years apart in age. Even though they play for different teams, that brotherly bond remains intact. When Caleb was drafted, Josh attended the ceremony and was visibly emotional. He said during the broadcast that the younger Downs has “always been the best player in the field.” However, Josh was eager to play Caleb.

And, they already had a plan in place.

The former Colts receiver said earlier that Caleb had told him if he goes to the Cowboys, he’d play nickel. That would put him in a head-to-head matchup with his elder brother, as Josh is a wideout. That added another layer to the duo facing each other as rivals, but Josh dished out a classic elder brother message for Caleb:

“It’s all fun and games, but, you know, I gotta still let him know he’s the little brother.”

Interestingly enough, Caleb had the better performance in that game. The rookie held Josh to zero catches in two targets when he was covering him, per Sumer Sports. He helped play a role in a much-needed win for the Cowboys, but he also gave Josh credit where it was due.

“We needed the win as a team, that’s the biggest thing.” Caleb said after the game. “It was a surreal feeling going out there and lining up in front of him and it’s me and him the whole game. I was thankful for the situation.

“He definitely got me in some of the plays that they missed him on, but I’m just thankful that he’s healthy, I’m healthy, and thankful that my family could be here”

Caleb also backed his brother after a troubling performance.

“At the end of the day, he’s a ball player and he can’t think of himself any differently based off of one play or not getting the ball thrown to him. He plays his a– off.”

Josh Downs will now embark on an exciting new opportunity with the Kansas City Chiefs, after the Colts traded him there. The Chiefs badly needed a productive wide receiver, having to rely heavily on Travis Kelce with the WR depth diminished. Josh, who was leading the Colts in receiving yards before the trade, serves as a great solution.

“You can tell just the intellect and how he’s able to pick stuff up. He’s a professional,” Josh’s new teammate, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, said. “He knows what he’s doing, and he wants to come in and just compete and have success.”

The Cowboys and the Chiefs do not play each other during the regular season in the 2026 NFL schedule. So, Caleb will not have to face his brother for the second time.