Colts WR Josh Downs Excited to Take on Younger Brother Caleb

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs will go head-to-head with his little brother this year.

The Dallas Cowboys drafted safety Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Cowboys play the Colts in Indianapolis this year.

At a press conference during the Colts’ offseason workouts on Wednesday, Josh said he was looking forward to the opportunity and also expressed his love for his brother.

“I was wearing the [Cowboys draft] hat like all night,” Josh said.

“We went out later in the night, and I had a Cowboys hat on. But then my sister was like, ‘don’t you play for the Colts?’ She’s like, ‘Why you still got that on?’ I was like, ‘I’m just being a brother today.’ But after that, I got to get rid of the hat.”

Josh was seen wearing a Cowboys hat in a documentary published by the podcast he and Caleb co-host, Downs 2 Business. He also teased Caleb, anticipating that they would play each other.

It would not be the first time the two brothers played against one another. Josh played his high school football at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia; Caleb played at Mill Creek High School in nearby Hoschton. They played against each other during Josh’s senior year and Caleb’s freshman season in 2019; North Gwinnett won 45-3.

“I feel like this match up will be even better, because I remember before he got drafted—not to talk about the Cowboys’ scheme or nothing—but he told me if he goes to the Cowboys, he’s playing nickel. So that’s like head-to-head like all game. So, I was like, that’s interesting. When he got drafted, I was like, ‘you know, we play y’all this year.’ And he got all hyped, and I was like, ‘you know, it’s all fun and games, ‘but you know, I’ve got to still let him know he’s the little brother in the situation,” Josh said.

The two host the aforementioned podcast, and Josh anticipated a significant round of trash talk on the show in the week leading up to their game.

But no matter what happens, Josh said, he was proud of Caleb.

“No, I was super proud of him,” he said.

“Like, all those emotions of being a big brother just kind of come to the forefront, and I remember when he got drafted, they showed the TV copy of him getting drafted. That’s after it really happens. But when he got drafted, he stood up and screamed, and I was the first person he hugged, and I was just like—it’s just a different feeling when your little brother does it. And it was kind of surreal in that moment.

“Like I feel like his successes are kind of like my successes. So when his team would lose last year, I would really get mad like a fan, but when they would win, I would get excited. So it’s fun, but at the end of the day, now I’ve got to go compete against him every year. So I’m excited for that.”

Josh and Caleb Downs are sons of former NFL running back Gary Downs, who played for seven seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and Atlanta Falcons. He also coached football, mostly at the high school level, with short stints in NFL Europa and at East Tennessee State University.

Josh played college football at the University of North Carolina. In three seasons with the Tar Heels, he caught 202 passes for 2,483 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

In three seasons with the Colts, he has caught 198 passes for 2,140 yards and 11 TDs. He has returned 30 punts for 292 yards.

Caleb Downs committed to Alabama at first and played one season with the Crimson Tide before transferring to Ohio State. He won a national championship in 2024 and won the Lott Trophy, the Jim Thorpe Award, and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. He was a Second Team All-American with Alabama and a two-time unanimous All-American in 2024 and 2025.