Isaiah

McKenzie

McKenzie suffered a knee laceration and right foot injury in the Giants’ third preseason game. The 29-year-old vet played in 13 games for the Colts last season before being suspended three games for conduct detrimental to the team. The Giants signed him in March to add to a slot-heavy receiving corps. He had a role as returner, and his injury will open up special teams snaps and some slot snaps. Gunner Olszewski, the Giants’ other returner, is recovering from a groin injury. Wan’Dale Robinson stands to benefit from getting increased kick-returning and slot-receiving snaps.

McKenzie’s agents announced that he has agreed to terms with the Giants. He last played for the Colts in 2023, though his season was cut short after being suspended three games for conduct detrimental to the team. McKenzie was largely used as a returner, finishing with 11 receptions for 82 yards on offense. He has connections to Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll from his days as a Bill. The Giants will likely continue to use McKenzie as a returner while he slides in next to fellow slot receivers Wan’Dale Robinson and Gunner Olszewski on offense.

McKenzie and Brown were both healthy inactives on Saturday and now we seem to have a little bit more information as to why. It’s still unclear what either player did, but it seems unlikely we’ll see them back with the Colts this season. McKenzie has been effective as a part-time return man in Indianapolis this season but has just 11 catches on 14 targets for 82 yards, so he’s not a factor in any size fantasy leagues.

McKenzie seemingly got some extra run in this game with Josh Downs dealing with a knee injury. Downs did not practice during the week but managed to play through his questionable tag, though he was limited to three targets. With Downs getting the bye week to rest, he should retake the WR2 role in Indy’s offense for Week 12, keeping McKenzie out of the picture for fantasy purposes.

McKenzie got extended run in this game once Josh Downs was ruled out with a knee injury in the second quarter. Most of McKenzie’s targets were underneath, but he’s always been slippery after the catch. He could work his way into deep-league relevance if Downs were to miss time, but he’s not a high upside play given his usage on most quick-hitters.

Downs was taken to the locker room late in the second quarter and initially ruled questionable to return. After halftime, the Colts have now officially ruled him out. He finished the day catching his only target for 10 yards. The rookie was battling a knee injury all week, so it’s unclear at this time if he aggravated the injury or simply wasn’t able to play through it. Isaiah McKenzie has seen an uptick in playing time since Downs left the game.

This isn’t great for Josh Downs, who figured to serve as the team’s slot receiver after McKenzie was cut. Now, McKenzie is back with the Colts and could eat a bit into Downs’ workload, although we still like Downs as the lead slot receiver at this point. McKenzie is an explosive receiver and return man but has never totaled more than 432 yards in a season — which he posted last season with the Bills.

The move leaves Indy with just three receivers on their roster. McKenzie was cut to make space for the team’s waiver claims. A free agent addition in the offseason, McKenzie failed to beat out rookie wideout Josh Downs for the starting slot role. His utility on offense and special teams should get him a shot on another roster this year and he could even get claimed once waivers run.

Through two preseason games, Downs has run routes exclusively from the slot. He’s also been targeted on five of those 17 routes, notching four receptions for 49 yards in limited action. Operating in the short and intermediate parts of the field, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Downs develop into a reliable target for rookie Anthony Richardson this season. Downs was an elite playmaker after the catch during his days at North Carolina and has 4.48 speed to turn any short target immediately upfield. Assuming he wins the starting slot role over Isaiah McKenzie, Downs could be a player to monitor early in the season.

It was a reversal of the Colts’ exhibition opener, where McKenzie got the first crack. Perhaps the Colts planned this rotation all along, but Downs has been earning universal praise for his play in camp. His third-round draft capital would probably also be enough to break a tie with McKenzie, who would still be waiting in the wings as a viable backup plan. McKenzie can also function as a designed-play specialist. Colts reporter Nate Atkins thinks the team could end up relying on Downs’ short game to help bring along inexperienced rookie QB Anthony Richardson.