The Colts sent a pretty loud message in Week 4: CJ Allen is not part of the rotation right now.
Indianapolis’ rookie linebacker, the team’s first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, was expected to open his career as a starter and handle the green dot on defense. Instead, he didn’t play in the opener, logged only a few snaps in Weeks 2 and 3, and then didn’t get on the field at all against the Washington Commanders.
That’s a stark turn from the role the Colts had mapped out for him. The explanation early on was that Allen had missed valuable practices in the first part of training camp, though he hadn’t missed any since early August.
The team also said he was still adjusting to the speed and power of the NFL and learning the defense. That line got harder to buy when fellow rookie A.J.
Haulcy, who missed practices later in the preseason, still played plenty.
By Week 4, the situation looked even more blunt. Allen was dressed and active, but he was only a spectator while four inside linebackers saw the field for Indianapolis.
Each of them played at least 17 snaps, and Akeem Davis-Gaither, now the green dot on Lou Anarumo’s defense, handled 62 reps. Rookie Bryce Boettcher got 18 snaps and, by performance, outplayed the second-round pick.
The contrast is hard to ignore, even if Boettcher is only “playing better” in the simplest sense because Allen isn’t playing at all.
Two months after those early camp absences, the Colts no longer look like a team easing Allen in. They look like a team that has no plans to use him, at least for now. That’s the real takeaway from Week 4.
And while it’s not unheard of for Indianapolis to get little immediate help from a second-round pick, this one stings a little differently. Because Chris Ballard traded two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner, Allen was the Colts’ first selection this year.
Still, the early returns fit a pattern. Jaylahn Tuimoloau did very little last season as a rookie after being a 2025 second-rounder, and Adonai Mitchell was the second-round choice in 2024.
Ballard, at least so far, keeps ending up with second-rounders who don’t give the Colts instant production, even though that’s exactly the kind of round that’s supposed to deliver it. The encouraging note is that Tuimoloau is starting to play better in his second season.
Maybe Allen follows the same path in 2027. Right now, though, he’s going the other way.
In Other News...
Colts May Have Found New Answers In A Much Needed Reset
The Colts got a much-needed reset in London, and it came with a performance that looked more balanced than the one that had been dragging them early in the season. In a 30-13 win over the Washington Commanders, Indianapolis leaned on Johnathan Taylor to power the ground game, while Laquon Treadwell gave the passing attack a steady outlet and Jaylon Carlies helped set the tone on defense with the units lone interception.
For a team looking to settle itself after a bumpy start, the trip abroad at least offered some concrete answers about where the foundation can come from. Taylors two-touchdown day, combined with contributions from players who have not always been at the center of the plan, hinted at a Colts group trying to widen its margin for error, even if the bigger question is whether this version can travel back home and hold up against stronger opposition. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Could Make A Risky WR Move Fans Will Debate
With injuries thinning the receiver room, the Colts have been checking on help, and one of the names that has surfaced is a familiar one to anyone who follows the draft closely. According to ESPNs Adam Schefter, Indianapolis is among the teams that have inquired about Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the former No. 4 overall pick whose pro career has not yet matched the lofty expectations that followed him into the league.
For the Colts, the appeal is obvious enough: a young receiver with pedigree who could fill a need if the price makes sense. For Arizona, the math is different, because Harrison has shown enough upside that moving him would require meaningful value coming back, and teams around the league know it. So even with Indianapolis in the mix, this feels less like a simple shopping trip and more like the kind of risky conversation that can spark plenty of debate before anything ever gets done. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Get A Costly Reminder About Ahmad Gardner On The Road
The Colts got a fresh reminder on the road that Ahmad Gardner can change the feel of a passing game in a hurry, even when the rest of the defensive picture around him is uneven. In the Week 4 international matchup with Washington, Gardner was part of a secondary that struggled to keep the Commanders from finding room through the air, and his coverage issues showed up in the form of a notably rough receiving day allowed.
For Indianapolis, it was the kind of performance that lingers because it undercuts the margin for error in a long season. The Colts have seen enough to know Gardner can be a difference-maker when he is in rhythm, but this game reinforced how costly it can be when a top corner is not winning his share of snaps, especially in a setting where every explosive play feels magnified. [Read more 🡒]