It did not take long for the Colts’ optimism about CJ Allen to run into a wall.
Allen, Indianapolis’ top pick in the 2026 draft, was supposed to be the face of a rebuilt linebacker room. Instead, by the end of his first preseason, he was barely showing up in the box score and even less often around the ball.
That is a tough look for any rookie. For a linebacker, it is worse.
Allen has already lost valuable time after getting hurt during training camp, and that missed development matters for any young player. But even setting the injury aside, the on-field product has been thin.
Against the Lions in Saturday’s preseason finale, he was a non-factor for long stretches. Midway through the third quarter, he had no stats at all - no tackles, no assists, no sacks, no pass defenses.
He eventually finished with a couple of assists, but he still lagged behind other Colts linebackers, including Bryce Boettcher, who had four solo tackles and two more assists. Austin Ajiake and Jaylon Carlies also finished with more tackles.
The issue is not that Allen has been perfect. Rookies are supposed to stumble.
The issue is that he has been invisible. He was cleanly blocked on run plays and beaten in coverage, and at the end of most snaps he was several steps away from the action.
That is not what Indianapolis had in mind when it used a second-round pick on him.
The Colts did not have a first-round selection because of the Sauce Gardner trade, and when Allen fell to them in the middle of the second round, they were thrilled. He was viewed as the player who would jump-start the linebacker group.
Zaire Franklin was gone. Germaine Pratt too.
E.J. Speed was already a distant memory.
Allen was supposed to be the green dot leader of the new-look unit.
Instead, those plans have been delayed. Cam Bynum will handle the defensive calls now, and the other linebackers who appear likely to make the roster may open the season with larger roles. Boettcher, taken two rounds after Allen last April, has already given the Colts more reasons to trust him because he has actually made plays.
There were other young players who had rough moments against Detroit. Rob Carter was repeatedly beaten at cornerback, and Bryce Boettcher had his share of struggles.
But both of them also flashed. Allen has not done that yet.
That is what makes this so jarring. Coaches and teammates have long praised his intelligence and work ethic, and he does move well.
None of that has translated into impact plays so far. Meanwhile, West Weeks made a play or two, and Mitchell Melton recovered a fumble.
Those are deep-depth players, undrafted free agents who would be happy just to land on a practice squad. Allen is supposed to be much more than that.
Maybe this is just a rough first chapter. Maybe, ten years from now, Allen will be the kind of player Colts fans point to and laugh about when they remember how uneasy this all looked in August. But right now, after one preseason, Indianapolis is not seeing the franchise-changing linebacker it thought it drafted.
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