The Kansas City Chiefs have given Patrick Mahomes another weapon, and Travis Kelce believes the rest of the NFL should be paying attention.
During the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Kelce and his brother Jason discussed Kansas City's acquisition of wide receiver Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts. While the trade gives Mahomes another target, Kelce believes Downs brings something particularly valuable to an offense that is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
And it has everything to do with how opposing defenses will approach the Chiefs.
Travis Kelce explains what makes Josh Downs so dangerous
Jason Kelce pointed to Downs' ability to consistently beat man coverage, something he witnessed while covering Indianapolis earlier this season.
"He's open constantly," Jason said, praising Downs' ability to separate from defenders. Travis immediately recognized why that particular skill could become so valuable.
"Man coverage is what defensive coordinators go to," Kelce explained, emphasizing how frequently teams rely on it when games get tight.
That's where this trade gets interesting.
With Kansas City's running game forcing opponents to commit additional defenders near the line of scrimmage, defensive coordinators could find themselves leaving receivers in one-on-one situations.
Downs provies Mahomes with a unique set of skills capable of exploiting those matchups.
Jason also suggested that opponents will increasingly stack the box to contain Kansas City's rushing attack, forcing defenses to make difficult decisions elsewhere.
Chiefs may have just created another nightmare for opposing defenses
Downs doesn't necessarily need to become Kansas City's leading receiver to make this trade worthwhile. He just needs to provide the Chiefs with a consistent threat that defenses have to account for in a different way than they are accustomed to.
His ability to separate underneath, recognize openings in zone coverage, and win against individual defenders could create opportunities for everyone else.
Kelce specifically praised Downs' awareness of defensive openings and the additional attention his presence could demand. For Andy Reid, that means another option when defenses try to take away Kansas City's preferred plays.
Kelce didn't hide his excitement about the acquisition.
"It 100% made our offense better," he said.
Of course, Downs still needs time to learn Reid's offense and develop chemistry with Mahomes. That's not something that happens overnight.
But Kansas City didn't make this move simply to add another name to its receiving corps.
The Chiefs wanted another player who could punish defenses for making the wrong decision. According to Kelce, they've found exactly that.
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