Josh Downs has made his stance clear after asking for a trade: he’s still ready to suit up for the Colts if he stays in Indianapolis.
“ I mean, you think about your future anyway, ” Downs said, via PFT. “ So, that’s not really something that’s different.
But I feel like it is what it is at the end of the day. My feet are here right now, so I’ve got to be right here,” Downs added.
“I’ve got a task at hand with my team. So, it could be different tomorrow, could be different the next day - I don’t know.
But, just got to be focused on right now. ”
In Houston, the Texans are sitting at 2-5, but GM Nick Caserio said the trade deadline is very much on the table.
“Always open. Had conversations.
Talked to most of the league. Where is surplus and where potentially a need?
always be open-minded.” (Aaron Wilson)
Caserio also addressed C.J. Stroud’s contract situation and the idea that the quarterback is betting on himself.
“You can ask C.J. what his thoughts are. We had really good discussions.
We were close. I don’t think anybody worried about it.
He’s playing good football. That’s no surprise.
We supported him all off-season when he was badmouthed for one bad half of football. The contract will take care of itself.”
(Wilson)
He said the Texans’ trade for WR Marvin Harrison Jr. came down to fit and future value.
“Opportunity to have player this year, next year, potentially year after that. We felt comfortable making that move and glad he’s here.” (Wilson)
Caserio also discussed the team’s offensive line, including veteran G Wyatt Teller, who has been active every week but has played only 31 percent of the offensive snaps. He said the team wasn’t sure it would draft Keylan Rutledge, but believed Rutledge at least projected as a solid backup because of his attitude. (Wilson)
And while Houston has poured resources into the line in recent offseasons, Caserio admitted the results still aren’t where they need to be.
“Don’t really have a good answer. Try to put the guys out there we feel are the best.
We’ve done a decent job of pass protection. Run blocking more about finishing.
If there’s a change to be made, we’ll make it.” (Wilson)
Texans HC DeMeco Ryans also said the team will not make any staff changes despite the rough start. (DJ Bien-Aime)
In Tennessee, the Titans made the biggest move of the day by dealing DT Jeffery Simmons after an offer from Bears GM Ryan Poles on Wednesday. Titans GM Mike Borgonzi said he had never tried to move Simmons before that call, but the decision was made with the franchise’s long-term outlook in mind. (Terry McCormick)
Borgonzi also pointed to S Amani Hooker, DL John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson and Solomon Thomas as part of the core, along with young players the team believes will keep improving. (McCormick)
He said the move should give him and HC Robert Saleh assurance that they’ll be back beyond this season. (McCormick)
Borgonzi also said he hasn’t taken calls on any of the team’s other players. (McCormick)
Saleh explained the Simmons trade this way:
“When you don’t close out games and you’re 1-6, teams are going to start fishing and when they throw out something like that, you have to listen.” (McCormick)
According to Jordan Schultz, the Titans heard from as many as three teams on Simmons, but Chicago’s offer got to a point where “we could not say no anymore.”
In Other News...
Colts Injury Report Puts Two Key Week 8 Concerns In Focus
Wednesdays injury report gave the Colts a mixed bag as they turned the page toward Week 8, with a few important defensive and offensive pieces showing up on the practice field in different capacities. Linebacker CJ Allen was a full participant despite an ankle issue, while rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher was held out with a groin injury. Around them, the list of limited participants included Drew Ogletree, Tyler Warren and Matt Goncalves, underscoring how many moving parts Indianapolis is managing this week.
The most encouraging development came from Sauce Gardner, who returned to limited practice after being sidelined by a calf injury. His availability is one of the bigger questions hanging over the Colts right now, especially with the defense trying to steady itself after two games without him. For a team trying to keep its lineup intact in midseason, the Thursday and Friday updates will matter just as much as the first report. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Are Betting Big On A Rookie To Replace Quenton Nelson
The Colts are moving on from a significant piece of their offensive front, and the plan now is to hand the left guard job to rookie Jalen Farmer. A fourth-round pick with limited NFL experience, Farmer has been in line for a bigger role since camp, and Indianapolis has spent the past few weeks preparing him for the jump with coaches and teammates helping smooth the transition.
Farmer will have plenty of eyes on him as he tries to step into a spot that mattered for years in Indianapolis. The coaching staff has publicly backed his readiness, and the locker room has followed suit, but replacing a proven veteran in the middle of a reshuffled line is the kind of test that can define an early season for an offense still trying to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Face A Jonathan Taylor Decision That Changes Everything
The Colts have already made it clear they are willing to shake up the roster after moving Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and that alone has changed the way the rest of the league is reading their next steps. With the front office openly signaling that more deals could follow, attention has naturally turned to players like Josh Downs and Jonathan Taylor, two names that would have seemed untouchable not long ago.
Taylor is the one who creates the most immediate tension because Indianapolis now has to balance a possible trade market with the realities of the next game on the schedule. The question is no longer just whether the Colts might listen if a serious offer comes along, but how they handle his status in the meantime as the situation around him continues to build. [Read more 🡒]