The Colts are making a notable change on defense Sunday, and rookie linebacker CJ Allen will be the one wearing the green dot for the first time in his NFL career when Indianapolis hosts the Dallas Cowboys.
Allen, who was viewed as a leading candidate for that role during training camp, will take over those responsibilities at the second level with veteran linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither already ruled out with a knee injury. It will be Allen’s second career NFL start, and at MIKE he’ll be the player relaying the defensive calls to his teammates on the field.
Given Davis-Gaither is unlikely to be re-signed as a veteran free agent at year-end, the Colts could very well keep the communication job with Allen for the rest of the season. There’s not much reason to change course unless the assignment starts causing problems.
Allen gave Indianapolis one of the few bright spots in last Sunday’s lopsided road loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, finishing with a team-high 10 tackles and a sack. That kind of debut start is exactly why the Colts can see him as a key part of the defensive core if he keeps trending upward.
The move also circles back to a messy issue from the start of the season, when veteran safety Cam Bynum handled green dot duties in the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That setup led to breakdowns and defenders being out of position, with Bynum having to sprint from deep in the secondary to get the play call relayed. It left the defense with less time to communicate and get set before the snap, and Indianapolis was the only team not using a linebacker for the job at the time.
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