Voltar
The Indianapolis Colts have seen enough after their 2-5 start. On Tuesday, they agreed to trade eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeForest Buckner back to the San Francisco 49ers.
Amid all this, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Colts may not be done wheeling and dealing, adding that they could be open to trading wide receiver Josh Downs as their fire sale continues.
Downs is headed for unrestricted free agency after this season. Fans had plenty of thoughts on the idea of Indianapolis parting with one of its best receivers in the middle of the season.
Nelson’s contract situation was much the same as Downs’. Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Indianapolis chose to recoup draft capital now rather than risk losing Nelson in free agency.
The Colts received a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder from Seattle, the defending Super Bowl champion. They got a 2027 fourth-round pick back for Buckner.
The selling follows a turbulent stretch. The Colts fired longtime general manager Chris Ballard on October 19, a day after losing at home to the Tennessee Titans, and Sunday’s 16-10 defeat at the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings was their third straight loss. Even so, they sit second in the AFC South.
With Nelson and Buckner already gone, one Colts page had a warning for fans of the team: “No one is safe. Stay close to your phones.”
“Reunite him with Drake Maye,” Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Josh Norris wrote. “(Sorry Pop)’
“[Expletive] it’s a ‘sale sale’ going on!” one fan added.
One fan pushed back and didn’t mince words about what the Colts would have left at the position.
“Trading a WR is really an awful idea when you literally have none right now,” he wrote, before later adding: “Moving Downs is just such a stupid move. Keenan Allen is probably the best guy on the team in wr, and he’s aging… What exactly are we thinking?”
Colts QB Daniel Jones completed 13 of 22 passes for 108 yards in Sunday’s loss and was sacked four times, leaving Indianapolis with 64 net passing yards to go with 154 on the ground.
One influencer sized up Downs from a buyer’s perspective and pointed to the Los Angeles Rams as a possible suitor.
“The Rams should definitely check in for Downs,” they wrote. “Could be a solid add, depending on the price. Don’t think he’s the best fit with Davante Adams out, but he is the best fit when Davante Adams returns. Kinda weird situation, but he’s a good player.”
Through Week 7, Downs has caught 26 of his 46 targets for 307 yards. He ranks No. 37 in PFN’s NFL WR Impact Score with a grade of 74.3.
The November 10 trade deadline is two weeks away, and it remains to be seen if Downs will still be on the Colts’ roster.
Indianapolis plays twice before then, starting with a Week 8 trip to the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, November 1, and then hosting the Dallas Cowboys on November 8.