A fire sale began in Indianapolis on Tuesday, with the Colts trading away both Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner before the NFL trade deadline.
But the deals may not end there.
Wide receiver Josh Downs requested a trade Wednesday morning, and the WR should have no shortage of suitors on the open market.
Here are five teams that should pick up the phone.
As the Colts rocked a pair of trades on Tuesday, first sending guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and then trading DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers, two more players gathered in online speculation, including Downs.
And the Kansas City Chiefs were immediately linked to the wide receiver.
This makes a lot of sense. The Chiefs look to be back among the top teams in the AFC despite last Sunday night’s loss to Seattle, and the acquisition of Kenneth Walker III this past offseason gave that running game a much-needed boost.
However, the passing game could use some help, which sounds surprising considering the return of Patrick Mahomes. But with Tyquan Thornton lost for the season due to injury and Rashee Rice still working his way back from the hamstring injury he suffered against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4, adding a WR makes a lot of sense for the Chiefs.
Another team dealing with injuries in the WR room?
The list of receivers currently on Injured Reserve can form a starting lineup for an NFL team. DeMarcus Robinson, D’Zhaun Stribling and Ricky Pearsall are out, while Brandon Aiyuk is out of the league after a strange season. While Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are on the active roster, both have been plagued by injuries this season.
San Francisco signed veteran Brandin Cooks to the practice squad in late September and promoted him to the active roster before Week 4, but for a team with eyes on another deep playoff run, Downs would give Kyle Shanahan another high-end talent in the WR room and quarterback Brock Purdy a much-needed playoff target.
While the top two teams need position due to injuries, the Atlanta Falcons are an interesting option because of the skill of the players on the roster and what could help this team contend in the NFC South.
Drake London and Kyle Pitts Sr. with the Falcons having two big-bodied receivers on the outside. But finding the right mix of slot and Z-receiver options has been more difficult. Jahan Dotson is an option, as is Olamide Zakcheaus. Then there’s rookie Zachariah Branch, but he struggled at ball security in Week 6 with a pair of fumbles against the Chicago Bears.
But Downs will give Atlanta a built-in weapon outside the slot, a great complement to the Falcons’ ability to roam the perimeter.
After talking more about the scheme with the previous team, we return to the idea of filling out the roster after injuries.
Terry McLaurin has been placed on Injured Reserve after tearing his patellar tendon in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers, the Chiefs confirmed Wednesday, officially ending the season. The team already announced that he would be out for the year after the loss to San Francisco, but now it’s official.
Dyami Brown, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, Treylon Burks and Luke McCaffrey are the available options in the WR room, but adding Downs would give Jayden Daniels another target in the passing game. While the Chiefs are currently in last place in the division with a 1-4-1 record, just three games behind the Giants in the win column, and the Philadelphia Eagles struggling and the Dallas Cowboys enduring another up-and-down season, there’s no reason to punt on this season in Washington just yet.
Another team rumored to be in the market for WR help is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Right now, rookie Germie Bernard and veteran DK Metcalf are the two main targets for Aaron Rodgers. Michael Pittman Jr. is currently on Injured Reserve with a foot injury — and reports from Pittsburgh said he could be out for a long time — and Roman Wilson is also on IR, though a toe injury could keep him back for Week 10.
According to this piece by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen, the Steelers are one of the teams best suited for Downs, along with the Chiefs. Bowen describes Downs as having “sudden footwork and coverage recognition to spot between the numbers.” [who] Suits a team looking for a high-percentage goal to win down and move the chains.
Given what Bernard and Metcalf bring to the table, Pittsburgh could ideally be the place.