Colts WR Josh Downs caught 3 of 4 targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 30-13 win over the Commanders. His longest catch went for 9 yards, and he scored just 4.6 PPR points. Downs finished fourth on the team in targets, trailing Laquon Treadwell (6), Ashton Dulin (6) and TE Tyler Warren (5). The passing game as a whole was quiet, with Daniel Jones throwing for only 143 yards on 34 attempts. The Colts built a lead and ran the ball 30 times.
Colts WR Darius Slayton is a healthy scratch vs. the Commanders today, despite the team missing WRs Alec Pierce and Keenan Allen. Active for Indianapolis today:
The Colts' passing game should flow through Downs and TE Tyler Warren today.
Colts WR Keenan Allen (groin) has been downgraded to out for Sunday morning's game vs. the Commanders in London. He opened the week with two limited practices before missing Friday's workout. We'll see if Allen misses more time beyond Week 4. With WR Alec Pierce on IR, Indianapolis is down to WRs Josh Downs, Darius Slayton, Laquon Treadwell, Ashton Dulin, and Deion Burks. We'll see if Slayton is ready to make his Colts debut after signing a couple of weeks ago, but he's not a realistic Week 4 fantasy start. Downs and TE Tyler Warren should control targets for the Colts this week.
Colts WR Keenan Allen led the WRs in fantasy scoring, catching 6 of 9 targets for 63 yards and a TD. Passing volume also rose for WR Josh Downs and TE Tyler Warren. Downs caught 5 of 10 targets for 77 yards, while Warren caught 9 of 10 targets for 55 yards. With WR Alec Pierce on IR, it appears the Colts will focus on their top three weapons in the passing game going forward.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Colts WR Alec Pierce will miss at least several weeks and "likely" land on IR for the heel he re-injured Sunday night against the Chiefs.
Update: Pierce has been placed on IR, knocking him out for at least the next 4 games.
Colts HC Shane Steichen confirmed Monday that WR Alec Pierce re-injured the heel he had offseason surgery on in Sunday night's loss to the Chiefs. Pierce left the stadium in a walking boot and on crutches. Steichen said Pierce is getting a second opinion on this latest injury, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Pierce is considered "week to week." Don't be surprised if he lands on short-term IR.
Colts WR Keenan Allen is facing a minimum 3-game suspension for his DUI arrest in August, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. But the league could opt for a longer ban because Allen's blood alcohol content was so high. Schefter confirms, though, that the league will wait for the legal process to play out before issuing the suspension. It's unclear exactly when the case will be wrapped, but the next hearing is not scheduled until October 26. It seems like there's a good chance Allen's suspension doesn't come until 2027, but we'll keep you updated on the situation. Allen ran a route on 76% of pass plays in the opener, tying for the team lead with a 19.4% target share. His absence would boost the target projections for Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Tyler Warren.
Josh Downs is returning to practice just over a week before the Colts’ home opener against the Ravens, according to Colts beat reporter Nathan Brown. He had been sidelined briefly by what was described as a very minor calf injury.
The Colts activated WR Alec Pierce off the physically unable to perform list Thursday. That move makes him officially available for practice just a couple days after HC Shane Steichen said they expected a return sometime this week.
Colts WR Josh Downs is sidelined with a calf injury. He was allowed to speak to the media on Wednesday, though, and called the issue "very minor." We'll keep an eye on him, but we're not moving Downs in the WR rankings for now.
For a while now, the Colts have been rumored as a potential landing spot for veteran WR Keenan Allen. That finally came to fruition late Monday night, when the sides agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $8.32 million according to multiple reports.
Colts WR Alec Pierce had a second platelet-rich plasma injection into his left ankle in June, according to multiple reports. Pierce reportedly got the first such treatment back in January but still needed surgery in March. The PRP treatment is meant to accelerate healing.
Colts WR Josh Downs isn't expected to remain out long with his groin injury. HC Shane Steichen said Sunday that the injury isn't serious and that Downs could return as soon as Tuesday's joint practice with the Patriots, according to ESPN's Stephen Holder.
Colts WR Josh Downs sat out practice Saturday with a groin injury, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. We’ll look for more details before worrying about the situation.
Colts HC Shane Steichen called WR Josh Downs "a tremendous football player" and said he's "trying to find different ways to get him the ball." Boosting Downs' playing time would be a good place to start. WR Michael Pittman's departure leaves behind a big opportunity.
Colts QB Daniel Jones said Wednesday that he "absolutely" expects to be ready for Week 1. Jones is now about 5.5 months removed from surgery to repair a torn Achilles. He participated in individual drills in Wednesday's OTA session. “Definitely still work to be done and progress to be made," Jones added. "So, I think it’s just continuing to get stronger, continuing to run faster, cut harder. And progress, kind of, according to the program.”
Colts WR Josh Downs has been efficient through three NFL seasons, averaging 1.74 yards per route. But he's struggled for reliable fantasy value because of his role. Downs has run 81.5% of his routes from the slot and played very little in three-WR sets. That's resulted in route rates of 75%, 75%, and 67%, respectively, over his three seasons. But with WR Michael Pittman's departure, there's a chance Downs gets a full-time role in 2026. And that'd make him an exciting fantasy prospect.
WR Michael Pittman has been traded from the Indianapolis Colts to the Pittsburgh Steelers. After signing Alec Pierce to a $28.5 million average annual salary, the Colts will move on from Pittman. The Steelers had little receiving depth behind WR D.K. Metcalf, so Pittman adds a No. 2 possession WR for HC Mike McCarthy's new offense. Unfortunately, the uncertainty around the Steelers QB position still makes Pittman a shaky fantasy asset, even if Aaron Rodgers returns.
The Colts are expected to start QB Riley Leonard this Sunday against the Texans, according to multiple reports.
It's fun that the Colts almost upset the Seahawks in QB Philip Rivers' first game since 2020. But he certainly didn't boost the fantasy fortunes of anyone around him. Rivers completed a solid 18 of his 27 throws (66.7% completions) and found Josh Downs for an 8-yard TD. But he totaled just 120 yards (4.44 yards per attempt) and added an INT as well.
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