Former Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen was arrested early Sunday morning on driving while intoxicated charges, hours after he made his on-field debut with his new team in a preseason game. Allen, 34, was picked up around 1 a.m. ET in downtown Indianapolis, according to online jail records cited by CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards.
The arrest lands on the same weekend NFL teams trim rosters to 53 players, adding a degree of uncertainty to the Colts‘ receiver room. Allen signed with Indianapolis less than two weeks earlier, and the club now faces its first crisis with the veteran before he’s played a regular-season snap.
Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were conducting a traffic investigation near Monument Circle when they noticed a vehicle parked in a no-parking zone, identified Allen as the driver and observed signs of intoxication, prompting the arrest. Allen was booked into the Marion County Arrestee Processing Center, according to the CBS report.
Keenan Allen’s DWI Charges and Arrest Details
The online records list two misdemeanor charges against Allen. First, driving while intoxicated, and also DWI endangering a person, according to a report from NBC Sports. Neither charge had been formally filed in court as of Sunday morning.
The Colts closed the preseason Saturday with a 25-16 home loss to the Detroit Lions. Allen caught one pass for 24 yards in his first appearance in a Colts uniform.
Indianapolis released a brief statement Sunday.
“We are aware of the incident involving Keenan Allen last night,” the Colts said in the prepared statement. “We are in the process of gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”
Allen has not publicly addressed the arrest.
Keenan Allen’s Path From Bears to Colts
Allen built his career almost entirely in Los Angeles. The Chargers took him in the third round of the 2013 draft out of California, where he still ranks among the school’s career receptions leaders. He made six Pro Bowls with the Chargers and holds the franchise’s all-time receptions record.
Los Angeles traded Allen to the Chicago Bears in March 2024 for a fourth-round pick, a move driven by a salary-cap crunch after Allen declined to restructure his contract. He spent one season in Chicago, catching 70 passes for 744 yards, before the Bears let him walk in free agency. Allen returned to the Chargers in August 2025 on a one-year deal and posted 81 catches for 777 yards and four touchdowns.
Indianapolis signed Allen this month to a one-year contract that can max out around $8.32 million, filling a void left after the Colts traded longtime starter Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers and while Alec Pierce continued recovering from ankle surgery, according to a report from NFL.com’s Grant Gordon.
Allen cited his familiarity with head coach Shane Steichen, who spent parts of seven seasons on the Chargers’ coaching staff, as a factor in the signing. He also joins a receiving corps overseen by Reggie Wayne, the Colts legend whose career reception total Allen is closing in on.
Across 13 NFL seasons, Allen has caught 1,055 passes for 12,051 yards and 70 touchdowns, numbers that place him among the most productive pass catchers of his era. No prior arrests or criminal cases have surfaced in public records tied to Allen. The DWI allegations remain preliminary bookings rather than formal court charges, and the case is still developing as the Colts open their regular season Sept. 13 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Ex-Bears 6-Time Pro Bowler Arrested on Serious Charges Before NFL Opener