Stampede Blue on Josh Downs
From the article
Downs is currently playing out the final season of his four-year rookie contract, which expires following the 2026 season. His cap hit this year is approximately $4.18 million, including a base salary of $3.92 million, meaning an acquiring team would only be responsible for the remaining portion of that salary after a trade.
STACKED’s take
Downs' $4.18M cap hit makes him affordable short-term, but extension negotiations will be expensive.
Downs is currently playing out the final season of his four-year rookie contract, which expires following the 2026 season. His cap hit this year is approximately $4.18 million, including a base salary of $3.92 million, meaning an acquiring team would only be responsible for the remaining portion of that salary after a trade. For a contender operating with limited cap flexibility, adding an established receiver at a relatively modest financial cost could be particularly appealing. However, at 25 years old, Downs will likely be looking for his first major contract extension, and the wide receiver market has become increasingly expensive over the past several seasons. Any team acquiring him would therefore have to decide whether it intends to negotiate an extension or simply use him as a short-term addition for a potential playoff run.
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