The NFL’s trade deadline means a new chapter in University of North Carolina product Josh Downs. The former Tar Heel wide receiver was traded by the Indianapolis Colts to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. deadline.
Josh Downs Will Switch AFC Teams From the Colts to the Chiefs
In a deal first reported by Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs sent a fourth, fifth and seventh-round picks to the Colts in exchange for Downs.
After spending his first 3.5 years in Indianapolis, Downs will now go from catching passes from Daniel Jones to trying to prove himself to Patrick Mahomes.
Through nine games so far in 2026, Downs has 33 receptions on 56 targets for 354 yards and one touchdown while part of a struggling Colts offense. He caught 58 passes on 88 targets for 566 yards with four scores in 2025.
Downs Could Become the Missing Piece for Chiefs’ Offense
And overall in 56 NFL games to date, Downs, who was drafted by the Colts in the third round in 2023, has brought in 231 balls for 2,494 yards. He’s 10.8 yards per coach and found the end zone 12 times as a pro.
Downs could now become the missing piece for the Chiefs as they hope to return to the playoffs following missing out last year. Because up until this point in the season, it’s tight end Travis Kelce who leads Kansas City in receiving yards with 482.
Downs surpassed 1,000 yards in both of his final two college seasons as a Tar Heel. His most productive season came in 2021 when he finished with 101 receptions for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns. He then set a new career-high with 11 scores as a senior in 2022
UNC Product Josh Downs Acquired as Missing Piece for New NFL Team