The Colts spent the offseason gutting their receiver room. Michael Pittman Jr., the guy who'd been Anthony Richardson's and Daniel Jones' top target for years, got dealt to the Steelers back in March for a couple of Day 3 picks. AD Mitchell is out the door too. That leaves a pretty obvious opening at the No. 2 spot, and the football internet has landed on the same name to fill it.
Josh Downs should pick up the targets that Michael Pittman left behind 👀
Pittman wasn't a throwaway piece either. He put up 784 yards and 7 touchdowns last year before Pittsburgh handed him a 3-year, $59 million deal to walk. That's real production the Colts now have to redistribute, and with Mitchell also off the roster, Josh Downs looks like the guy absorbing most of it.
Downs has quietly been a Colts constant since he got drafted, and now he's entering the final year of his rookie contract with a clear runway to become the No. 2 option behind Alec Pierce, who just got paid himself on a 4-year, $116 million extension. Downs has already said as much publicly about the extra opportunity in front of him.
.@RomeovilleKid believes WR Josh Downs is a breakout candidate in 2026. With AD Mitchell and Michael Pittman Jr. gone, Downs is expected to see more opportunities as the Colts' No. 2 WR. Entering a contract year, he has a chance to put up career-best numbers. (via @TheAthletic)
This is exactly the kind of setup that gets fantasy managers and beat writers buzzing every summer — a young slot receiver with proven chemistry in the building suddenly inheriting a departed vet's workload. It doesn't always translate, but Downs already has the trust of the coaching staff and doesn't have to fight Pittman or Mitchell for targets anymore.
Contract year, plus opportunity, plus a thinned-out depth chart is the exact formula that's produced breakout receiver seasons across the league before. Whether Downs actually cashes in remains to be seen, but the path to a bigger role is about as clear as it's going to get for him in Indy.