Nothing spices up the NFL competition quite like sibling rivalry. Perhaps the most exciting one is set to come up between star Dallas Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs and his older brother, Indianapolis Colts wideout Joshn Downs. With the two franchises set to cross paths this year, the elder Downs is looking forward to put the younger one in his place.

“He told me if he goes to the Cowboys, he’s playing nickel,” said Josh during a recent press conference. “So, that’s like head-to-head all game. I gotta let him know he’s the little brother in the situation.”

Even though Caleb is listed as a safety, he is an extremely versatile player in the secondary. That upside made him an immediate steal in the draft. But he is expected to line up at nickel, since he played at this position for most of his brilliant 2025 season. On the other hand, Josh is a slot receiver for the five-time Super Bowl champions. Hence, if Caleb plays nickel, he will be the player standing directly across from his brother.

But lining up as a nickel, probably as a STAR, is going to be a test for Downs. It is an isolated position, and he has to target the speediest and trickiest receivers on the other side. The rest of the defense will depend on him in this case. But Caleb Downs thrives when he is left isolated in this position: he can go toe-to-toe with any receiver. The fact that this will be his brother is an advantage, because he’ll know how he plays.

There are a lot of expectations from Caleb Downs at Dallas, since he is considered the best of his lot in this year’s draft class. Downs is an extremely athletic player, and though he isn’t as big as other versatile players like Nick Emmanwori (Seattle Seahawks) and Kyle Hamilton (Baltimore Ravens), he can be moved about easily. Downs has a nose for the ball, and his brother should watch out. He doesn’t, however, have the numbers to show (only two picks) here, since he was rarely targeted. But the competition between the two has been running for a long time.

While they attended different colleges, the two brothers attended schools in Suwanee, Georgia. When Josh attended North Geinnett High, he played against Caleb’s Creek Mill High. The wide receiver scored a touchdown against his brother’s team, leading them to a big win. Josh Downs plans to pull a classic elder sibling move on Caleb in the NFL, but is the younger one going to pay heed?

But at the end of the day, they are brothers. Even though this was just brotherly banter, which could very much become a competition when they face each other, Josh steps up big time to celebrate Caleb’s special moments.

Josh Downs goes the extra mile to celebrate Caleb

Josh Downs is an active Colts player. It would have been one thing if the Colts had a top 10 pick and Caleb was within range. But since the Colts had no first-round pick, it would have been useless for Josh to carry his team cap. But after Dallas selected Caleb, Josh, too, celebrated this massive day by wearing the cap “all night.” His little brother got drafted as a top pick; that’s a valid reason for him to wear a rival team’s cap.

But Josh made it clear that it was just for this reason that he was sporting the accessory.

“We went out later in the night and I had a Cowboys hat on,” the WR told reporters. “My sister was like, ‘Don’t you play for the Colts? Why you still got that on?’ I’m like, ‘I’m just being a big brother today.’ After that, I’ve gotta get rid of the hat.’’

The hat is now home at Georgia, he said. But the elder brother duties never really end. He said that he was the first person Caleb hugged after getting drafted. Because even though they are rivals in this league, it was an emotional moment for both of them. Josh said it was “surreal.”

Although the NFL has yet to announce the official schedule for the 2026 campaign, the Colts will certainly take on the Cowboys at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It’s part of the NFC East and the AFC South interference crossover. It’s safe to say we can expect some fireworks on the field, thanks to these two dynamic brothers.