Some very good news for the Indianapolis Colts. Prior to Wednesday’s practicing beginning, head coach Shane Steichen announced that wide receiver Josh Downs will be back on the practice field.
Steichen added that in his first practice back, Downs will be limited, but it’s a good sign nonetheless.
Downs suffered a high ankle sprain back on August 7th, and it was initially reported by Ian Rapoport that Downs was expected to miss 4-6 weeks, although the Colts never provided a timeline.
Downs did not practice last week but was seen working out off the side and said he felt good about where he was at.
Without Downs, the Colts relied on a by-committee approach when it came to slot duties in their Week 1 matchup with the Houston Texans, with a handful of different players all seeing snaps lined up inside.
Prior to the training camp injury, Downs was putting together an impressive summer, sparked by a strong rapport with quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Downs is coming off a rookie season where he caught over 70 percent of his targets for 771 yards and was one of the more impactful slot receivers in football, ranking top 10 in yards.
While the Colts’ offense was able to generate some big plays in the passing game this past Sunday, there was an overall consistency that was lacking with a very boom-or-bust play style. Getting Downs back in the mix will provide some added stability and playmaking to the passing game.