Chiefs land in two ESPN deadline pitches: Josh Downs in, Kingsley Suamataia out

The Kansas City Chiefs show up twice in ESPN's roundup of eight trade proposals ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. In one, Kansas City adds a receiver. In the other, it moves a young offensive lineman who has fallen out of favor. Each deal is built around a 2027 fourth-round pick, with the Chiefs giving one up in the first and getting one back in the second. These are analysts' pitches, not reported talks, but both are tied to real situations on the roster.

Jeremy Fowler's pitch sends Colts wide receiver Josh Downs to Kansas City for a 2027 fourth-rounder. Fowler reported on Oct. 28 that Downs had asked Indianapolis for a trade. He writes that the Chiefs have been shopping for help at receiver and that the Colts would like a third-round pick but may have to take a fourth. Indianapolis has already traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and Fowler says Downs would give Kansas City a "much-needed additional playmaker." He also notes that losing Downs would hurt an Indianapolis offense that is already struggling.

Field Yates goes the other way, sending Kingsley Suamataia to Green Bay for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Suamataia started every game for Kansas City last season but has been benched twice this year. Yates points out that the backups have not played much better in his place. His case for a trade is that Suamataia is only 23, can play more than one spot and is under contract through next season, so a team like the Packers, whose line has been hit by injuries and uneven play, could pay a mid-round price for him.

Put together, the two ideas match the timing. A Chiefs team that has scored 27 points over its last two games could use another target, and a lineman who has lost his job is the obvious piece to sell.

What it means for the Jets game

Any trade would come after Sunday, so Kansas City faces the New York Jets at Arrowhead (CBS) with the roster it has now. The Chiefs are 5-2, but the strong start has slowed. They opened with five straight wins, including a 31-10 home win over Denver, a 33-30 win over Indianapolis and a 22-6 win over the Chargers. Then came a 20-3 loss at Seattle and a 28-24 loss in the rematch at Denver. Three points in Seattle explains why the receiver question keeps coming up.

The market still has Kansas City as a clear favorite. On this site's board, which tracks 12 venues, the Chiefs are favored at -426 to win outright on Novig. The Jets are +400 there and +409 at Pinnacle, the best price on New York. Novig has Kansas City at -9.5 on the spread at -100, while BetMGM is the most generous at -8.5 for -110. The total is 48.5 on Novig, with the Over at +106, and FanDuel has the lowest number at 47.5. The venues are close on this game: sportsbook hold runs 3.8% to 5.5% on the moneyline and about 3.4% to 5% on the spread and total, and the main lines differ by a point at most.

The Chiefs then go to Atlanta on Nov. 15, where they are favored at -190 on Novig and -170 at DraftKings. By then, the deadline will have decided whether Downs, Suamataia or anyone else changed teams.