If the Pittsburgh Steelers want to trade for WR Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts before the Nov. 10 deadline, it could get expensive. On Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed what the Colts are asking.
“Josh Downs, the Colts have been telling teams they’re looking for value in the third round,” Schefter said on his podcast with co-host Ty Schmit. “No one is ready to do that right now.”
Downs requested a trade yesterday after the Colts sent out OG Quenton Nelson and DL DeForest Buckner. Indianapolis received third and fifth round picks for Nelson and a fourth for Buckner.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Colts also wanted a third-round pick for Buckner. The team ultimately compromised to reach a deal with the San Francisco 49ers. Perhaps the Colts would be willing to do the same with Downs since teams always ask high to begin negotiations. Pittsburgh may have to wait for Downs’ price to drop.
“And I think if you ask for third-round value, you look at last year,” Schefter said. “Rashid Shaheed went for a four and a five from New Orleans to Seattle. Jakobi Meyers went from the Raiders to the Jaguars for a four and a six. Is Josh Downs as good as Rashid Shaheed or Jakobi Meyers? So we have to see if he gets traded, but they want third-round value for him, and we’ll see if they can get it.”
According to Jordan Schultz, the Steelers are one of several teams that have inquired about Downs. According to Schefter’s reports, they are not willing to offer what the Colts want. Not yet anyway.
Schefter thinks there’s a “reasonable chance” that Downs will be traded. It could come down to a game of chicken between receiver-hungry teams like the Steelers and the Colts’ desire to retain him. In the final year of his rookie contract, Downs will likely leave in free agency if the Colts don’t trade him, but he could potentially give the team a compensatory pick in 2028.
If the Colts hold on, Omar Khan will have to decide whether giving up a Day 2 pick for a potential rental to Downs is worth it. Otherwise, he could explore other options like Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr., although the asking price for him could be similar. Or the Steelers could stay up and bank on injured receivers like Ben Skowronek, Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman Jr. being healthy and providing enough support during the second half of the season.
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