WESTFIELD, Ind. – As training camp kicks off Wednesday, the Colts will be without their top two wide receivers from 2025. Alec Pierce will begin camp on PUP after undergoing ankle surgery in March and Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers the same month.
In the absence of Pittman and Pierce, Josh Downs will have an opportunity to show he can do more in the Colts' offense.
"It's definitely an opportunity, but also a continuation to show I'm a really good receiver in the NFL," Downs said Tuesday. "I feel like I'm with some of the best guys in the league and I'm excited for more opportunities."
Downs had 98 targets during his rookie campaign in 2023 and 107 in 2024. The number dipped to 88 in 2025 as rookie tight end Tyler Warren became a primary target and ended the year with 112. As the Colts offense evolved with Warren and incorporated more tight end usage, Downs appeared on just 58.7 percent of snaps as opposed to the 65.2 percent he saw in 2024.
"(We're) trying to find different ways to get him the ball," head coach Shane Steichen said on The Colts Show. "We'll go through that in training camp and game week prep, but we're excited for him this year."
As he saw a decline in his on-field presence, Downs focused on himself off the field and what he could learn from it.
"It teaches you patience, teaches you to just be grateful for what you get and I just keep working," he said. "I was still doing all the stuff I was doing the years before, and I just gotta keep going, keep my head down and stay on the ground."
General manager Chris Ballard has watched Downs work tirelessly the last three seasons, and has always believed the North Carolina alum is a good player. He wants Downs to take this opportunity and prove to others what he's thought all along.
"I think this is going to be a good thing for us," Ballard said Tuesday. "I think Josh is explosive and I think he's got playmaking ability. He's a tough dude and it'll be fun to watch him. I'm a Josh Downs fan."
