The Indianapolis Colts aren’t waiting around for Alec Pierce to heal. With their WR1 still sidelined on the PUP list and no clear return date in sight, the Colts moved fast, reportedly agreeing to terms with six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen on a one-year deal. At 34, Allen isn’t the receiver he was in his prime. But for a Daniel Jones-led offense thin at the position, experience like his is hard to pass up.
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According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Indianapolis has agreed to sign Allen to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $8.32 million with incentives.
“BREAKING: The #Colts are signing 6x Pro Bowl WR Keenan Allen to a 1-year deal worth up to $8.32M, multiple sources tell me. A big-time weapon for Daniel Jones, as Allen reunites with HC Shane Steichen from their days together with the Chargers in a deal done by @ZekeSandhu of @KlutchSports,” Schultz posted on X.
Allen isn’t just a name they’re bringing in for depth either. The guy has made six Pro Bowls, and across his 13 seasons, he’s hit at least 80 catches and six touchdowns in the same year seven separate times, including this past season. This marks something of a homecoming detour for Allen.
He comes off a one-year return to the Chargers in 2025, which saw him return to the team that drafted him in the third round way back in 2013, and where he played the first 11 seasons of his career. In March 2024, however, Allen had been traded to the Chicago Bears and spent just one season before signing back with LA as a free agent during last year’s training camp.
It wasn’t just the fact that he joined his old team that made his return special; rather, it was his role within the team that made his return remarkable. He played in all games of the season for the first time since 2019, but he did it with a lighter workload, seeing the field for just 55.1 percent of the offense’s snaps.
Even with fewer opportunities, he finished 2025 with 81 catches, 777 yards, and four touchdowns. Allen was Justin Herbert’s go-to guy on third down, arguably the best in the league in that spot, which is exactly how he earned the nickname “third and Keenan” from his own teammates.
He’s clearly not thinking about hanging up his boots anytime soon either. After the Chargers beat the Raiders in Week 2 of the 2025 season, Allen told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, “We’re gonna ride it ’til the wheels fall off” when asked about retirement.
At 34 years old, Allen currently sits 13th all-time in NFL history with 1,055 career receptions, to go along with 12,051 receiving yards and 70 touchdown catches. Add in his six Pro Bowl selections, and it’s clear the Colts aren’t just adding a body to the receiver room.
He’ll slot into a receiver room that already has Alec, Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Anthony Gould, and Laquon Treadwell. Nobody’s expecting Allen to be the number one option in this offense, and that’s exactly what should let him thrive in a complementary role as the Colts look to make a real push for the playoffs in 2026.
The timing lines up too, especially with Alec Pierce currently working through an ankle injury.
Alec Pierce’s injury timeline remains unclear
Alec Pierce had surgery on his left ankle in late March after a January platelet-rich plasma injection didn’t do the trick, and he’s been grinding through rehab ever since, hoping to be good to go by Week 1.
He landed on the active PUP list in late July, and he’s still there as the recovery continues. General manager Chris Ballard addressed the situation last week, and he still isn’t putting a specific date on Pierce’s return.
The update comes after reports surfaced last week, including from ESPN, suggesting Pierce recently got another PRP injection to help speed things along. That’s a bit of a shift from what Ballard said a few weeks earlier, when he figured Pierce might just need another week or two. Clearly, that timeline has slipped. Still, Ballard isn’t worried.
“It’s been like any rehab,” Ballard said (via ESPN). “There are ups and downs. There’s a new normal that they have to get used to. But there’s no setback. He’s in good shape. He’s making great progress. Every player comes back differently, and we feel good about where he’s at.”
The Colts committed to Pierce in a big way back in March. They signed him to a four-year, $114 million extension to be their top receiver after trading away Michael Pittman Jr. But the ankle troubles have taken some shine off what was supposed to be a big year for him.
Head coach Shane Steichen confirmed Sunday that Pierce will not be participating in practice this week when the Colts and Falcons are practicing together, and therefore, he will skip out on the entire training camp.
However, Ballard is still hoping for Week 1 against the Ravens, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. But with camp gone and rehab ongoing, that timeline carries real uncertainty.