It took a while, but the Indianapolis Colts are actually awake on NFL trade deadline day.
Keenan Allen has been sent to the San Francisco 49ers.
The veteran wide receiver brings back a sixth-round pick in return, according to multiple reports from NFL insiders. Allen marks the second player the Colts have traded to the 49ers this year, after DeForest Buckner a couple of weeks ago.
It likely won’t be the last move for the Colts on Tuesday, but they’re finally off and running — with less than two-and-a-half hours to the deadline from the point this trade was reported.
What Did Colts Get for Keenan Allen?
Reports have indicated that the Colts have received a 2027 sixth-round pick from the 49ers for Allen.
That’s a totally fine return for a receiver on an expiring contract.
Allen did lead the Colts with 40 catches, but there was no point to Indy keeping him around for the rest of the season given their place in the standings.
Why Colts Are Trading Keenan Allen
An Allen trade makes perfect sense because he’s on an expiring contract.
If the Colts kept Allen through the end of the season, he’d be a free agent and they’d get nothing for him.
Instead, they get a draft pick to try and turn Allen into some future value.
Can Keenan Allen Still Be Suspended?
This hasn’t come up in a while, but before the season, Allen got arrested, and it appeared to bring with it a suspension risk.
Allen was facing a “minimum three-game suspension,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier in the season.
The wideout was formally charged with two misdemeanor offenses due to a drunk driving arrest in Indianapolis.
“Three-game suspensions are mandated by the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which also stipulates that suspensions could be longer if a player is intoxicated at higher levels,” Schefter writes. “Police officers on the scene the morning Allen was arrested said they received a .224 blood-alcohol level reading from the veteran wide receiver — three times the legal limit, meaning the league could decide to increase the three-game ban that he already is facing.”
Schefter provided more details about the case as well:
“According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Allen’s blood-alcohol level triggered a more serious Class A misdemeanor charge, per Indiana law. An Indianapolis police sergeant encountered Allen at 1 a.m. after conducting a traffic investigation. Allen, according to the police report, was parked in a no-parking zone, prompting the officer to address the situation. The officer stated he smelled a strong odor of alcohol when he went to speak to Allen.”
It’s not clear at the moment whether this has disappeared, or whether the 49ers are taking an additional risk by bringing Allen on board.
Colts Trade Keenan Allen to 49ers: What to Know About Return, Suspension