Kansas City Chiefs at last Grab another weapon for Patrick Mahomes. With Indianapolis holding on to their receiver, it looked like a deal wouldn’t be done before the deadline — but the Chiefs finally caved under the rug.
Kansas City Chiefs Rating: B
It’s a solid, albeit unimpressive receiver trade for the Princes that’s a little closer to optimistic than a guaranteed asset save. Downs is largely unimpressive through 2024, which could easily be attributed to mediocre quarterback support in Indianapolis and an inability to capitalize on his best assets.
Downs is at his absolute best catching passes in the 5-for-6 yard range and getting another handful from YAC. That’s what he did so well in his first two seasons in Indianapolis, and why the Colts’ offense struggled when he added a few more yards to his depth. Catching and meeting safeties isn’t his game, working in open space is — and with Mahomes’ position on the ball, that should work well.
All that said, this isn’t a home run deal for a proven weapon; It’s a solid move that can breathe life into an underutilized player. Whether or not this is the kind of deal that can get the Chiefs over the hump remains to be seen, but there’s a lot to like.
Indianapolis Colts Rank: B
The Colts are a mess. It’s something any draft asset can get back at this point, and at least they had the foresight to not hold on to Downs like they did with Jonathan Taylor. A complete teardown and rebuild is on the way in Indianapolis, and there’s simply one fact here, Downs’ game will begin to grow while they fix several other issues on offense.
When you can take a player in the 3rd round, play them for 3.5 years and flip them for the 4th and 5th, it’s a great deal – especially when the player is unlikely to factor into your future plans.