Colts' Third-Round WR Josh Downs Agrees to 4-Year Deal

The Indianapolis Colts needed depth at wide receiver after the departure of Parris Campbell to the New York Giants in free agency.

The Colts would first address this by signing the shifty playmaker Isaiah McKenzie from the Buffalo Bills. However, more help was still needed, especially at the slot position.

The Colts would snag North Carolina's Josh Downs in the third round, with many believing he was the steal of the NFL draft. He’s now officially under contract with the Colts.

Bring on the touchDowns.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 16, 2023

According to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports, the terms for Downs garnered a four-year, $5.594 million deal, with a signing bonus of $1.069 million. Not bad for his first contract in the league.

That now marks the eighth of 12 total rookies that have been officially signed by the Colts. Adding Downs in the receiving game will elevate the Colts right out of the gate. During his tenure at North Carolina, Downs was an incredible force in the slot.

Through three seasons, Downs played in 28 games, recording 202 catches for 2,483 receiving yards and 22 receiving touchdowns. This is the type of consistency at the slot position the Colts need.

If Downs can replicate that type of production to any capacity in his rookie campaign, new head coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard will be more than ecstatic.

Now that Downs has officially signed with the Colts, he can focus entirely on football. With such a crucial offseason ahead with rookie QB Anthony Richardson, look for Downs to continue to mesh and connect with the dynamic quarterback to help him hit the ground running and evolve his game on the fly.

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