The Kansas City Chiefs are stuck in a messy trade tug-of-war with the Pittsburgh Steelers over Indianapolis Colts receiver Josh Downs. Both teams have offered Day 3 draft picks to land the third-round pick from 2023, according to MARCA. Indianapolis originally wanted a third-round selection but might settle for a fourth or fifth-rounder to get the deal done. A trade could finally move forward after this weekend, even though no agreement exists yet between the interested franchises. This delay comes right after Downs filed a trade request on October 28. He seems ready to leave Indiana, stating, “I’m open to whatever. Whatever comes my way, comes my way and we go from there,” per MARCA.
The Steelers Are Getting In The Way
Why is this taking so long? The Steelers are offering the exact same low-value draft capital as Kansas City. That creates a stalemate where both teams wait for the Colts to crack. Downs has 2,447 receiving yards across 54 career appearances, which makes him a solid add for any offense. But the Chiefs cannot waste time waiting on a deal that might never happen. The trade deadline is November 10, and every day of hesitation gives Pittsburgh more room to outmaneuver Kansas City. If the Colts want a higher pick, neither team is currently willing to pay it.
A Different Target Might Be The Answer
Maybe the Chiefs should stop chasing Downs entirely and look at the Jacksonville Jaguars instead. ESPN’s Ben Solak predicted the Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. will end up on the trade block next week. Solak noted that the upcoming AFC South matchup features the top two players on trade candidate rankings. He predicted, “And I’m predicting that both playmakers will take their final snaps with the teams that drafted them Sunday.” If the Jaguars lose, they might move Thomas for a better price than Downs. Solak added, “With another loss, the Colts could probably move [Jonathan] Taylor for two Day 2 picks. Meanwhile, another empty stat line for Thomas leads him to … the Chiefs?”
Game Day Reality Check
The Jaguars sit at 4-2 while the Chiefs are 5-1, per Heavy.com. That record gap matters when teams decide who to trade. A loss for Jacksonville could force a fire sale that Kansas City can exploit. The Chiefs need to act fast before the Steelers lock up Downs or the Jaguars sell Thomas to another buyer.
