Nate Taylor of ESPN delivered a blunt deadline-day verdict Tuesday — it is Josh Downs or bust for the Kansas City Chiefs as the 4 p.m. Eastern Time deadline fast approached.
With Patrick Mahomes short on healthy targets and the trade deadline falling at 4 p.m. EST, the open question is whether Kansas City can pry the Indianapolis Colts’ slot receiver loose before the window slams shut.
Taylor, who covers the Chiefs for ESPN, narrowed Kansas City’s options to a single name during an appearance on 96.5 The Fan.
“Josh Downs or bust now for the #Chiefs at the NFL trade deadline,” Taylor said, according to 96.5 The Fan’s post. Taylor then shared the clip on his own social media.
The declaration capped a week of narrowing. Taylor had tabbed Downs as the most attainable receiver on the Chiefs’ board earlier in the week, including a Nov. 6 appearance on the same station, placing him ahead of options such as Brian Thomas Jr. because of the fit and a shallow market. Downs, for his part, has voiced interest in Kansas City.
“It appears, as of now, that this is the most logical solution for everyone. I have belief, and I’ve been told essentially, that Josh Downs would like to play for the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s ready to run routes for Patrick Mahomes,” Taylor said on the radio station.
Josh Downs’ Trade Price for the Kansas City Chiefs
Cost is the sticking point. Indianapolis opened by asking for a third-round pick, while Kansas City has been willing to part with a fourth, a gap Taylor framed as the realistic range for a deal.
The reporting lines up. According to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter, Indianapolis holds a fourth-round offer for Downs and is telling other teams so. Albert Breer pegs a fourth-round pick as the cost as well.
Downs is playing out the final year of his rookie contract, which makes him a half-season rental for whoever lands him. Kansas City has emerged as the front-runner anyway. He asked out of Indianapolis the day after the Colts traded guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, the firing of general manager Chris Ballard having come earlier this month.
Downs was born Aug. 12, 2001, in Suwanee, Georgia, and played at North Gwinnett High School before spending 2020 through 2022 at North Carolina. The Colts drafted him in the third round, No. 79 overall, in 2023. He measures 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds.
His NFL resume starts with 68 catches, 771 yards, two touchdowns as a rookie. He followed with 72 receptions for 803 yards and five scores in 2024, then 58 for 566 and four in 2025. Through nine games this season, Downs has 33 catches for 354 yards and one touchdown on 56 targets.
Kansas City Chiefs Wide Receiver Injuries Fuel Josh Downs Pursuit
Downs is a quick slot receiver who complements Rashee Rice as a No. 2 when Rice is healthy. He wins underneath and on third down as a “sure-handed, twitchy” chain-mover, according to Newsweek.
Kansas City’s current group has been stripped of that kind of option. Tyquan Thornton was hurt in the Week 4 win at Las Vegas, and a dislocated ankle sent him to injured reserve. Rashee Rice left the same game with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 4 and sat out the following Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs had been the only AFC team unbeaten after four weeks when both went down.
Kansas City had only Xavier Worthy, Nikko Remigio, Jalen Royals and rookie Cyrus Allen healthy on the active roster.
The numbers show the strain. Rice has 25 catches for 292 yards and two touchdowns across his appearances. Worthy, the most available of the group, has 33 receptions for 278 yards and one touchdown, and has been listed day-to-day with a hamstring problem. Travis Kelce, a tight end, leads the Chiefs with more than 480 receiving yards.
The Chiefs have until 4 p.m. EST to learn whether a fourth-round offer is enough for Downs.
Chiefs Insider Names One Trade Target as Deadline Nears: ‘Josh Downs or Bust’