Keenan Allen is on his way to Indianapolis, and the Colts finally have the veteran receiver they spent the summer circling. The six-time Pro Bowl wideout agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $8.32 million, according to ESPN, ending the long wait over where he’d play his 14th NFL season.
The move also puts Allen back in the orbit of Shane Steichen. Indianapolis’ head coach coached him in Los Angeles during a long stretch of Allen’s prime, with Steichen working as a Chargers assistant and later offensive coordinator from 2014 through 2020. That overlap, according to NBC Sports, covered most of Allen’s run with the franchise.
Indianapolis had a clear opening at receiver, and the roster picture only sharpened the need. The Colts dealt Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, getting a 2026 sixth-round pick and sending back a seventh-rounder, per the team’s transaction report. That left Alec Pierce as the presumed No. 2 option, but his availability has been anything but certain.
Pierce had ankle surgery in March after a PRP injection didn’t solve the soreness he dealt with last season. He’s been on the physically unable to perform list during training camp, and while general manager Chris Ballard said last week he still expects Pierce to be ready for the opener against Baltimore, Steichen said Sunday that Pierce will not return for this week’s joint practices with the Falcons, according to SI’s fantasy desk. In a receiver room with that kind of uncertainty, Allen gives the Colts a proven answer.
Josh Downs is still part of the mix, but he has also been dealing with a groin issue this camp. Beyond Downs and Pierce, the Colts were leaning on receivers with limited NFL production such as Anthony Gould, Laquon Treadwell and Ashton Dulin. Allen changes that immediately.
Last season in Los Angeles, Allen caught 81 of 122 targets for 777 yards and four touchdowns in all 17 games. His game remains built around the short and intermediate areas, not pure vertical speed, which lines up neatly with what Indianapolis needs from a No. 3 receiver behind Pierce and Downs.
He also leaves the Chargers as the most productive receiver in team history, a mark he built over 12 of his 13 NFL seasons there. The third-round pick from Cal in 2013 has 1,055 catches for 12,051 yards and 70 touchdowns in his career, putting him 13th all-time in receptions.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder reported that Steichen and Allen had stayed in contact for months before the deal came together. Steichen had been checking Allen’s interest in joining the Colts long before free agency stretched into August, and that steady communication helped set up the fit.
Reaction around the move was mostly upbeat, though plenty of people noted the age and the target competition. One fan wrote: “Keenan Allen knows it.
Indianapolis knows it. Pat McAfee knows it.
The Colts are dangerous,” while another cautioned fantasy managers that Allen is slowing down but still should not be dismissed. A separate post pointed out that Allen has topped 744 receiving yards in nine straight seasons he’s played at least 13 games.
Another Colts-focused account argued that even at 34, Allen can still take over as a team’s top target for a game or a short stretch, just not for an entire season.
The Colts still have target competition to sort through. Allen now joins Pierce, Downs and tight end Tyler Warren in Daniel Jones’ passing game, and Steichen has already said the battle for depth roles remains open. Allen may not be penciled in as a full-time starter, but he gives Indianapolis a reliable chain-mover and the most proven option in the room if Pierce’s recovery drags.
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A joint practice with the 49ers brought an immediate concern for the Chargers' offensive line when center Tyler Biadasz had to leave the field after taking an awkward hit to the knee. The injury interruption was the sort of camp moment teams hope to avoid, especially for a group that needs continuity up front before the season starts.
The next snap at center became an important subplot, with rookie Jake Slaughter moving into the spot after Biadasz departed. For Los Angeles, the bigger issue now is how this affects the line's depth and the team's lineup choices heading toward Week 1, since a test like this can quickly reshape the pecking order. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Injury Concerns Just Got Worse At The Worst Time
Joint practices are supposed to sharpen a team before the regular season, but the Chargers left the field with a much more uneasy feeling after their work with the San Francisco 49ers. Quentin Johnston, starting center Tyler Biadasz and linebacker Kyle Kennard all came away hurt, turning a routine August session into another reminder of how quickly depth concerns can pile up.
Johnstons issue appears to be minor, which at least offers a little relief for a receiving group trying to build rhythm. The bigger concern was Biadasz, who went down with a left leg injury and had to be carted off, while Kennards status remains unclear as the Chargers wait for more information on how serious the latest setbacks might be. [Read more 🡒]