Colts' Josh Downs sends 'little brother' warning to Cowboys' Caleb Downs about future matchup

The Indianapolis Colts will host the Dallas Cowboys during the 2026 regular season for a matchup that became more interesting once Dallas made Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs the 11th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Josh Downs, Caleb's older brother, is a wide receiver for the Colts and recently made it known that he won't be taking it easy on the rookie later this year. 

Josh Downs wants to remind Caleb Downs who "little brother" is

"It's all fun and games, but you know I've got to still let him know he's the little brother in this situation," Josh said about going up against Caleb, per Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. 

The full NFL schedule won't be released until later in May, so fans will have to wait to learn when the Cowboys will make the trip to Lucas Oil Stadium. That said, Josh revealed that he and Caleb began thinking about facing each other even before the draft got underway on the night of April 23. 

"I remember before [Caleb] 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," Josh explained. "So, that's like head-to-head all game. I was like, 'That's interesting.' So when he got drafted, I was like, 'You know we play y'all this year?' He got all hype."

Josh Downs is already proud of what Caleb Downs has accomplished

According to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star, Josh has said in the past that Caleb is the better player of the two. 

"All those emotions of being a big brother come to the forefront," Josh said about Caleb officially becoming an NFL player. "When he got drafted, he stood up and screamed. I was the first person he hugged. …It’s a different feeling when your little brother does it. It was kind of surreal in that moment. I feel like his successes are kind of my successes." 

Josh Downs has featured for the Colts since they selected him in the third round of the 2023 draft. According to ESPN stats, he ended this past regular season ranked third on the team with 58 receptions and fourth with 566 receiving yards. Over 16 games, he tallied four touchdown catches. 

"The week before will be more talking trash, and the week after, we’ll see how it goes," Josh added about facing Caleb.