As their season progressively becomes more of a lost cause, one Indianapolis Colts star has already demanded to be moved.
The Colts are in the midst of a fire sale before the NFL trade deadline on November 10, sending offensive lineman Quentin Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and pass rusher DeForest Buckner back to his old home with the San Francisco 49ers.
In light of this, wide receiver Josh Downs has now demanded a trade away from the team, according to multiple reports.
Downs, the team’s leading receiver, has yet to haul in a touchdown this season as quarterback Daniel Jones continues to struggle.
‘Those trade talks have been ongoing with Josh Downs, I kinda thought honestly that it might happen yesterday afternoon,’ ESPN NFL insider Ian Rapoport told The Pat McAfee Show.
‘I know there’s a couple of teams interested… the Chiefs, we’ve talked about. I know the Steelers have been mentioned as a wide receiver [needy] team. There’s going to be a market for Josh Downs, it’s just a matter of when it actually happens.’
Indianapolis Colts star Josh Downs has requested a trade amidst his team’s fire sale
The fourth-year pass catcher is in the midst of the best start to his career
The Colts’ selling habits could see them move their biggest star, Jonathan Taylor (above)
Rapoport added: ‘I don’t know if it’s going to happen this week, but I do believe that he will eventually be traded.
‘It kind of feels to me like he was going to be traded anyway. It’s just a matter of, you know, can the teams get to a point where they’re willing to offer enough where the Colts take it?’
Downs is having the hottest start of his career with 26 catches for 307 yards to his name. But the North Carolina product is in the final year of his rookie contract and did not sign an extension to stay in Indianapolis.
Downs will become a free agent in the offseason, which is a similar situation to Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor. Taylor, the longtime face of the Colts franchise, has an opt-out clause in his contract eligible for this season – making him a prime trade target.
While the price would be high to get the NFL’s leading rusher, the instability around the team is enough to worry Taylor’s wife, Ayanna. Taking to TikTok, she voiced her concern over the team’s decisions and what it could all mean for her husband.
She captioned one video: ‘Q [Quenton Nelson] and now DeForest… should I start packing?!’
In the video, she said: ‘Is literally anybody safe on this team? I’ve never known the Colts organization without these people and it kind of feels like rookie year all over again. So, naturally, my mind is spiraling. Is this the start of the trade frenzy?
‘What does this mean for my husband and I? Do I need to start packing our bags? Are we going to be spending our daughter’s first Halloween together? Will we make it to game day, or was last week the last time my husband is putting on a Colts jersey?’
