INDIANAPOLIS - Keenan Allen didn’t have much to say Thursday, and that was by design.
The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver addressed reporters for the first time since his early Sunday morning arrest and made clear he wasn’t going to go beyond the basics. Allen was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, spent several hours in the Marion County Jail, and was released just before 4 p.m.
ET on Sunday. He has since returned to the team and practiced this week, with Colts general manager Chris Ballard saying Allen will be on the field in Week 1.
“Because it’s an ongoing legal matter, I’m not gonna discuss it,” Allen said. Asked what he wants Colts fans to know, he added, “I take my job serious.
I’m a good football player. And I try to be a good teammate.”
He closed with a simple message about where his head is at: “I’m just focused on being a good football player and getting ready for the season.”
Colts coach Shane Steichen took the same line, steering clear of the arrest details. “Obviously, there’s a legal situation going on right now, and I’m gonna keep everything in-house,” Steichen said.
Allen, 34, was charged with DWI/DUI/OWI endangering a person and DWI/DUI/OWI with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more, according to an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department report. Those are Class A and C misdemeanors. Under Indiana law, a Class A misdemeanor can bring up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000, while a Class C misdemeanor carries up to 60 days in jail and a maximum fine of $500.
The NFL could also step in. Commissioner Roger Goodell can review the case and “may impose a fine, suspension, or other appropriate discipline if a player is convicted of or admits to a violation of the law … relating to the use of alcohol,” according to the league’s policy and program on substances of abuse.
The policy says a first-time alcohol-related offense with no aggravating circumstances calls for a three-game suspension, though the league usually waits for the legal process to play out before making a move. Based on recent precedent with other players, Allen likely could get through the season before any discipline is handed down.
For the Colts, Allen arrived with plenty of football baggage already in place - just not the kind tied to this week’s headlines. He signed a one-year deal worth up to $8.32 million to reunite with Steichen, with whom he spent seven years with the Chargers. Steichen was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020.
Allen’s résumé remains hard to miss. He is a six-time Pro Bowler, ranks 13th all-time with 1,055 catches, and is one of just 18 players in league history to top 1,000 receptions.
His arrest came only 11 days after he joined the roster and just hours after his preseason debut. According to the police report, Indianapolis officers handled a traffic investigation involving Allen in the 100 block of South Meridian Street. An IMPD statement said officers began looking into the situation after spotting a vehicle parked in a no-parking zone.
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