Keenan Allen had been in Indianapolis for barely 10 days, but the 34-year-old wasn’t interested in waiting for the regular season to get his first taste of football again. Despite missing nearly all of training camp, the six-time Pro Bowler wanted into Saturday’s preseason finale.
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On the second play, Allen motioned toward the field and turned his first target into a 24-yard gain. Two more snaps followed before his day was over. It was a brief return to game action after joining the Colts late in August. He had made sure he was ready when his opportunity to get back on the field arrived. Hours later, however, his first night in a Colts uniform would take a far different turn.
Keenan Allen was arrested early on Sunday morning, Aug 30, in downtown Indianapolis at 1 a.m. ET. According to online jail records, the veteran wide receiver faces preliminary charges of driving while intoxicated and DWI endangering a person, charged with Class C and Class A misconduct.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers approached a vehicle parked in a no-parking zone at 110 S. Meridian St., just south of Monument Circle, and identified Allen as the driver. Police said officers noticed “signs of intoxication” before taking the veteran into custody following further investigation.
Allen faces two preliminary misdemeanor charges: operating a vehicle while intoxicated with an alcohol concentration equivalent of 0.08 or more and operating a vehicle while intoxicated while endangering a person. As of Sunday morning, he was being held at the Marion County Arrestee Processing Center. The preliminary charges are allegations, and the legal process remains ongoing.
“We are aware of the incident involving Keenan Allen last night,” the Colts said in a statement. “We are in the process of gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”
That response leaves Allen’s immediate football status unresolved. Indianapolis had not announced any disciplinary action or indicated whether the arrest would affect his availability.
The timing is particularly striking given how much Allen had wanted those few snaps against Detroit. He had lobbied Shane Steichen to get into the preseason finale after missing nearly all of training camp, and his lone reception went for 24 yards, one of Indianapolis’ longest plays of the day. The Colts ultimately lost the game 25–16.
Allen had signed with Indianapolis on Aug. 19, adding another experienced option to a reshaped receiver room. But the move also came with a built-in familiarity: Allen and Steichen had spent seven seasons together with the Chargers, dating back to Steichen’s time as an offensive quality control coach, quarterbacks coach and later offensive coordinator.
That history made Indianapolis a natural landing spot for a receiver entering his 14th NFL season. Allen was joining an offense that had already moved on from Michael Pittman Jr., who was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Alec Pierce had only recently returned from the physically unable to perform list.
The Colts signed Allen to a one-year, incentive-laden deal worth up to $8.32 million, giving them another veteran presence alongside Pierce and Josh Downs. And despite being 34, Allen had shown he could still contribute.
During the 2025 season with the Los Angeles Chargers, Allen appeared in all 17 games and recorded 81 receptions for 777 yards and four touchdowns. Over his career, the six-time Pro Bowler has amassed 1,055 catches for 12,051 yards and 70 touchdowns, numbers that place him among the NFL’s most productive receivers of his generation.
There is now also the question of potential NFL discipline. No league punishment has been announced, and any action would depend on how the case develops. Under the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, as cited by IndyStar, a first offense involving a violation of law related to alcohol can result in a three-game suspension without pay absent aggravating circumstances. But the league has often allowed the legal process to play out before imposing discipline, meaning any potential timeline remains unclear.
Indianapolis is scheduled to open its season at home against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13, leaving the team to wait for further clarity on both the legal case and Allen’s football status.