After Keenan Allen was arrested on DUI charges Sunday morning, general manager Chris Ballard was asked why the team didn’t cut him. His answer was simple… The Indianapolis Colts still believes in who Allen is.
“Good people make mistakes,” Ballard said. “14 years in the league and no issues. A decorated career, a decorated teammate… unequivocally, we feel good about who Keenan Allen is.”
Now that doesn’t mean the Colts are ignoring what happened – Allen is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest in Indianapolis, and the legal situation still has to play out. But Ballard’s comments make it clear that Indianapolis isn’t ready to throw away a player it believes deserves some grace.
The Colts are looking at the bigger picture
The Indianapolis Colts had signed Keenan Allen just 11 days earlier, bringing in the six time Pro Bowl receiver to give their wide receiver room another proven veteran.
Allen came in with 1,055 career catches, 12,051 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns. He also played all 17 games for the Chargers last season, catching 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns…
In other words, the Colts didn’t bring him in to sit around – They were expecting Allen to be a big part of the receiver group (especially with Michael Pittman Jr. traded and Alec Pierce nursing an injury), which makes Ballard’s decision a little easier to understand. Cutting him immediately would have created another problem for a position group that already needed help.
Then there’s Allen’s history. He’s been in the NFL since 2013 and, as Chris Ballard pointed out, hasn’t had issues during those 14 years. That’s a pretty long track record for one incident to suddenly erase.
What happened is serious. There’s no getting around that. But Ballard clearly believes Allen should be judged on more than one bad decision. The Colts could have cut him right away and washed their hands of the situation. Instead, they’re giving their new receiver a chance to deal with the consequences while still being part of the team.
For Indianapolis, that’s apparently the line.
This still puts the Colts in a difficult position
Now the Indianapolis Colts’ decision doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences…
Keenan Allen’s arrest happened just hours after he played briefly in Indianapolis’ preseason finale against the Detroit Lions – He caught one pass for 24 yards in that game before the incident occurred.
All of the sudden Indianapolis has to balance supporting one of its veteran players with making sure the situation is handled appropriately.
And from a football standpoint, Indianapolis also has plenty of incentive to be patient – Allen was brought in because the Colts needed another reliable target, and his experience could be especially valuable for a passing offense that is still figuring out exactly what it wants to be heading into the season.
The Colts don’t have to pretend the arrest didn’t happen. They simply have to decide whether it represents who Keenan Allen is. Right now, Chris Ballard’s answer is clear: He doesn’t believe it does.
Colts Make Their Stance on Keenan Allen Clear After DUI Arrest