Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen is facing a minimum three-game NFL suspension stemming from his drunk-driving arrest in downtown Indianapolis last month, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Sunday.
Allen, 34, was formally charged Tuesday with two misdemeanors. He is still expected to play Sunday night when the Colts visit the Kansas City Chiefs. The league plans to let the legal process play out before it issues any discipline.
An attorney conference, the next event on the docket, is scheduled for Oct. 26.
The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement mandates a three-game suspension in these cases. It also allows the league to go longer when a player’s level of intoxication is higher.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Stephen Holder of ESPN, officers on the scene recorded a .224 blood-alcohol reading when Allen was arrested Aug. 30. That is nearly three times Indiana’s legal limit of .08, and it elevated one of the charges to a Class A misdemeanor under state law.
An Indianapolis police sergeant encountered Allen at 1 a.m. while addressing a vehicle parked in a no-parking zone, according to the report. The sergeant stated he smelled a strong odor of alcohol.
Colts coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that the team is allowing the legal process to play out.
Allen signed a one-year deal with Indianapolis in August. He caught six passes for 32 yards in his Colts debut, a Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Colts are his third team in three seasons.
He spent 2025 back with the Los Angeles Chargers, the franchise that drafted him in the third round in 2013, and appeared in all 17 games. He finished with 81 receptions for 777 yards and four touchdowns. The year before, he caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven scores with the Chicago Bears.
Allen entered this season with 1,055 career receptions, 12,051 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns. He is one of 18 players in NFL history with at least 1,000 catches.
A six-time Pro Bowl selection, he was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2017.
Should the NFL lengthen the ban beyond three games, the timing will depend on when Allen’s case is resolved in court. For now, he remains active for Sunday night’s game at Arrowhead Stadium.
