Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen is one of the NFL’s top remaining free agents on the market. Surely, a team will sign him soon, but which team will that be? Mauricio Rodriguez of A to Z Sports suggests the Indianapolis Colts should add the veteran wide receiver:
“With Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce starting training camp on PUP (Physically Unable to Perform), it only make sense to look at the wide receiver market and see who is out there. One veteran who makes plenty of sense is Keenan Allen, a five-time Pro Bowler. It’s true, Allen is well past his prime. But he’s also fresh off of back-to-back 700+ yard seasons in which he combined for 11 touchdowns. He’s also not that far removed from a 1,243-yard season in 2023.”
The Colts are in desperate need of another wide receiver. But will they land Keenan Allen?
Colts Urged to Sign Wide Receiver Keenan Allen
Looking Back at His Career
Keenan Allen was selected by the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. During his rookie year, he led the Chargers with 1,046 receiving yards, which broke the franchise rookie record of 1,001, set by John Jefferson in 1978. Allen also set a Chargers record with five 100-yard games in a season.
In addition, Allen had 142 yards and two touchdowns in the Divisional Round against the Denver Broncos, becoming just the second rookie in NFL history to gain 100 receiving yards and score two touchdowns in a playoff game.
Allen played only one game in 2016 due to tearing his ACL. He returned the following year, catching 102 passes for 1,393 yards and six touchdowns as he was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He also made his first Pro Bowl that year.
Following 11 seasons with the Chargers, in which he made six Pro Bowls, Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears. He played one year in Chicago before returning in 2025 on a one-year contract.
Last season, Keenan Allen Abecame the fastest player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions, doing so in 159 games. He also passed end Antonio Gates as the Chargers’ franchise record holder for career receptions. Allen finished the 2025 season with 81 receptions and 777 receiving yards.
Should the Colts Sign Him?
As Rodriguez pointed out, Alec Pierce is currently on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list as he recovers from ankle surgery. While the Colts are hopeful he’ll be ready for Week 1, no timeline is set.
Pierce is expected to be “The Man” in Indy’s wire receiver room this season. He had a great 2025 campaign, recording a career-high 1,003 receiving yards and leading the NFL in yards per catch for the second year in a row. As a result, the Colts re-signed him to a $114 million contract this offseason.
The Colts need Pierce to be at full strength, especially after the team traded fellow wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Indianapolis has a couple of solid receivers in Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin, but they need to add depth at the position.
Keenan Allen would be a great pickup. Despite being 34 years old, he’s still a productive receiver and is familiar with Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who served as an assistant with the Chargers. Plus, Indianapolis could likely sign him to an inexpensive one-year contract.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is returning to the field after suffering an Achilles injury last season. He’ll need to be surrounded by as many offensive weapons as possible in order to succeed this season. It makes perfect sense for Keenan Allen to be one of those weapons in Indy.
Main Image: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images