The Los Angeles Rams have clawed their way back to .500 with back-to-back wins — the latest being a 24-9 beatdown of the winless Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8.
But the defense and running game are doing most of the heavy lifting.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for just 157 yards against the Chargers — his second-lowest total of the season — and the Rams are still without six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams, who ruptured his hamstring in Week 6 and is expected to miss 6-10 weeks.
However, help could be on the way.
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline fast approaching, ESPN’s Ben Solak has pitched a deal that would bring a capable fill-in to Los Angeles, which would give the Rams some much-needed depth behind All-Pro Puka Nacua.
Colts WR Josh Downs Could Make Sense for the Rams
In Solak’s proposal, the Colts would send Downs and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Rams for a 2028 third-round pick.
“My biggest hang-up in trading Downs to anyone is that he has to be protected from blocking responsibilities,” he wrote. “But the Rams run so much 13 personnel that Downs can easily line up in isolation to the outside and stay out of the run concept.
“He gives them a short-area winner for the goal-line and third-down packages at which wideout Davante Adams excelled — and, with Matthew Stafford struggling on longer throws and wanting to check down more often, quick winners are needed.
“We typically think of Sean McVay as fielding only big-blocking slots, but in this newfangled McVay attack, Downs actually works. If the Rams are still all-in on this version of their team, Downs makes sense as a short-term relief valve and potential long-term signee to pair with Puka Nacua for the Ty Simpson era.”
It’s not hard to see the vision. Stafford completed 13 of 14 passes thrown in under 2.5 seconds against the Chargers, according to BVM Sports. And quick-game targets are exactly where Downs has made his living.
The Rams also don’t have much behind Nacua right now. Adams was the team’s leading receiver (30 catches, 480 yards, four touchdowns) when he went down.
However, head coach Sean McVay brushed off the idea of adding a receiver in mid-October.
“We’ve got some depth on our roster,” he said.
How Downs Fits With the Rams
Downs is a willing seller’s dream.
The 25-year-old is in the final year of his rookie contract and requested a trade last week. It came just one day after the Colts dealt away guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
“I’m open to whatever,” Downs told ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “Whatever comes my way, comes my way and we go from there.”
Granted, his 2026 numbers won’t jump off the page. Downs has 30 catches for 330 yards and one touchdown through eight games, and he entered Week 8 with a career-low 56.5% catch rate.
Some of that is circumstance. No. 1 wideout Alec Pierce is on injured reserve (heel), quarterback Daniel Jones has been inconsistent, and Keenan Allen has led the Colts with a 24% target share since Week 3.
But Downs is just two years removed from his career-best 72-catch, 803-yard season. His 68 catches as a rookie set a Colts franchise record for a first-year player. He has 228 catches for 2,470 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career.
As for the price, the 2-6 Colts are looking for a third-round pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Though he added a fourth-rounder might get it done before the deadline.
The Rams have 12 picks over the next two drafts. A third-rounder two years down the road is certainly a price worth paying for a team that entered the season as a Super Bowl favorite.
Rams Trade Pitch Flips 3rd-Round Pick for Immediate WR Help Amid Davante Adams Injury