The Las Vegas Raiders should be a team to watch for in terms of making a trade for a wide receiver before the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline on November 10th, and one name that could be available is Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs.
Downs, 25, is playing on the final year of his rookie deal and is set to have a huge payday this offseason. In 53 career games with the Colts, he’s racked up 222 catches for 2,429 yards and 11 touchdowns.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, no player is expected to be off-limits for the Colts. The only thing is the organization still hasn’t decided whether they want to have a fire sale. It’s dependent on whether the Colts win or not over the next one or two games.
Raiders Trade Pitch Adds Colts’ WR Josh Downs
This would be a huge opportunity for the Raiders to make an impact trade, which would help this season and, if Las Vegas hands Josh Downs a contract extension after the season, in the long term.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper listed the Raiders as a potential landing spot for the Colts’ 25-year-old receiver and added that it’ll only cost a projected $1.96 million for the rest of this season.
Here’s what he had to say regarding Downs:
“Downs is in the final year of his rookie deal, and he has developed into one of the better route runners in the league. He is predominantly a slot player, aligning inside on more than 74 percent of his career offensive snaps. The Colts signed receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $114 million extension in the offseason. Pierce has played 49 snaps this season while battling injuries. Downs is good, cheap and on an expiring deal. He would be a potentially valuable trade piece if interim GM Ed Dodds is tasked with bolstering the draft cupboard.”
The other big factor, besides whether the Colts would be willing to trade Downs, is the potential asking price. The Raiders shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of trading for him if the asking price is a 2027 first or second-round pick.
However, if the Colts are willing to give Downs away for a third-round pick and a late-round selection, that’s where things suddenly become enticing.
Another Potential Wide Receiver Target for Las Vegas
If the Colts end up deciding that they would rather keep Josh Downs and trade some of their older veteran players like DeForest Buckner (which the Raiders should also be interested in), perhaps another wide receiver could be a more realistic option via trade — Jacksonville Jaguars‘ Brian Thomas Jr.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on October 24th that multiple league executives believe the Jaguars will seriously consider trading Thomas at the deadline “now that his role has decreased.”
Popper also listed the Raiders as a good fit for Thomas, who’s still just 24 years old and had 87 catches for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his rookie season back in 2024.
Either way, if the Raiders are looking to trade for a wide receiver, they’ll likely have options.
Raiders Trade Pitch Adds Colts’ 25-Year-Old WR Amid Latest News Rumor