Josh Downs Opens Up About Emotional Goodbyes In Indianapolis As Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs Become His New Home

Josh Downs breaks silence on difficult goodbye to Indianapolis© Getty via AFP

Josh Downs did not get a quiet exit from Indianapolis. The Colts traded the receiver to the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday, and within hours he was back at the facility, returning his gear and saying goodbye to the only NFL team he had ever known. Speaking with his brother, Caleb, on the Downs 2 Business show, Downs described how fast the day turned. Indianapolis received 2027 fourth and fifth-round picks, while Kansas City added Downs and a seventh-rounder. He asked for this move, yet leaving still hurt more than he expected.

Josh Downs describes the emotional goodbyes in Indianapolis

Downs requested a trade on Oct. 28, so the news did not come out of nowhere for him. The feeling afterward was still heavy, and the speed made it worse. He sat through team meetings with the Colts on Monday, then got a text Tuesday afternoon telling him to report to the facility. From there the day moved fast. He returned his equipment and said his goodbyes.

“I mean, it's literally like, it's like a breakup in a sense, man,” Downs said.

Fans rarely see that part. A trade graphic lists picks and contract numbers. It leaves out the people. The Colts drafted Downs in the third round in 2023, so he spent nearly four seasons around the same teammates, coaches and staff. Cutting that off in an afternoon is not easy, even when the player wanted out.

“Whole life changed in a matter of, you know, two, three hours,” Downs said. He got the move he asked for, but had almost no time to process it.

Downs keeps his plan with Mahomes simple

Downs met Mahomes after arriving in Kansas City, and his pitch is short. “What makes the relationship with the quarterback is, you know, catching the football when he throws it to you and getting open,” Downs said.

He was careful not to promise a big role.

That caution fits the situation. Rashee Rice sits ahead of him on the depth chart, and Downs has 33 catches for 354 yards and one touchdown this season. Still, the Chiefs need what he offers. Mahomes' average pass has traveled 5.7 yards, the lowest in the NFL, according to reporter Sheil Kapadia, and Downs is quick off the line and strong after the catch. The Chiefs are 6-2 while the Colts sit at 2-7, so he lands in a much better spot.

Mahomes already likes what he sees. “You can tell just the intellect and how he's able to pick stuff up. He's a professional,” Mahomes said.

Downs could make his debut as soon as Sunday against the Falcons.