Chiefs trade for Colts WR Josh Downs at deadline to shore up injury-thinned receiver room

The Kansas City Chiefs went shopping for a receiver at Tuesday's trade deadline and came back with Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts. USA TODAY Sports reports that Kansas City sends its 2027 fourth- and fifth-round picks to Indianapolis and gets Downs and a 2027 seventh-rounder in return. Bleacher Report, citing Tom Pelissero, reported the same terms.

Downs, 25, had asked Indianapolis to trade him in late October, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Bleacher Report notes he is in the last year of his rookie contract with a $4.2 million cap hit. He had 33 catches for 354 yards and a touchdown in nine games, mostly from the slot, and drew extra coverage while Alec Pierce was out with a heel injury.

Kansas City needed him. Tyquan Thornton, who led the team at 19.9 yards per catch, dislocated his ankle in Week 4. Xavier Worthy, tied for the team lead with 33 receptions, is day-to-day with a hamstring injury. Rashee Rice already missed two games earlier this season with a hamstring problem of his own. USA TODAY expects Downs to move straight into the starting three-receiver group. To get him, the Chiefs gave up their first two Day 3 picks in next year's draft.

This is the latest in-season receiver trade for general manager Brett Veach, who brought in Kadarius Toney in 2022, Mecole Hardman in 2023 and DeAndre Hopkins in 2024. For Indianapolis, the deal finished a teardown that had already sent guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco and, earlier Tuesday, Keenan Allen to the 49ers. The Colts kept running back Jonathan Taylor.

What it means for Atlanta

Downs joins a 6-2 team that has steadied itself. The Chiefs lost back-to-back road games, 20-3 at Seattle and 28-24 at Denver, and gave up first place in the AFC West before beating the New York Jets 35-12. They are 4-0 at home and 2-2 on the road, and the losses to the Seahawks and Broncos were their only games this season with fewer than 22 points. Across eight games they have scored 202 points and allowed 143, about 25 to 18 per game. One of those wins was a 33-30 decision over Downs' old team, the Colts.

Next up is a trip to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, November 15 (CBS). Kansas City is favored, though not by a lot. Novig, one of 12 venues on this site's board, has the Chiefs at -174 on the moneyline and Atlanta at +170. On the spread, Novig lists Kansas City -3.5 at +113. The best Chiefs price anywhere is Pinnacle's -3 at -115, so the books are split on whether the line should be a field goal or the hook above it. On the Falcons' side, Novig's +3.5 at -115 is close to the best price available, BetRivers' +3.5 at -114.

The total sits at 45.5 on Novig, with the over at +106 and the under at -108. BetMGM has the best over at 45 for -110. Sportsbook hold across the board ranges from about 3% to 5%. If Worthy is limited this week, Downs could be on the field a lot in his first game with the Chiefs.