INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts have been eyeing veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen for the past several months, and now the sides have finally made things official.
In an effort to bolster a thin receiving corps, Indianapolis on Monday agreed to terms with the 34-year-old player, a team source told ESPN, confirming multiple reports. Allen returns to the NFL after reuniting with the Los Angeles Chargers last season, when he notched 81 catches in his 13th season. According to multiple reports, the deal is worth up to $8.32 million.
The Colts had been evaluating their receiver lineup in training camp and wanted to determine whether it might be good enough as is. But the loss of Michael Pittman Jr. to an offseason trade and the absence of new No. 1 wideout Alec Pierce -- who underwent offseason ankle surgery -- gave the Colts pause.
The one-year deal with Allen allows him to reconnect with Colts coach Shane Steichen, who spent several seasons as the Chargers' offensive coordinator while Allen was the team's top receiver. The two maintained a relationship in the intervening years, and Steichen has been having dialogue with Allen for months, gauging the veteran's level of interest in joining the Colts. What's more, Indianapolis' offense under Steichen has several layers to it that he brought over from the Chargers.
A third-round pick in the 2013 draft out of Cal, Allen is one of the greatest players in Chargers history. He spent his first 11 campaigns with the franchise before the team traded him to the Chicago Bears in 2024 following a contract dispute. Allen returned to Los Angeles ahead of last season and was the Chargers' most-targeted receiver (122) in 2025.
He finished the season with 81 receptions, 777 yards and four touchdowns, and he was quarterback Justin Herbert's favorite target (and one of the best in the NFL) on third downs. Allen was first in receiving first downs (29) and receptions (34) on third down, earning him the moniker "third-and-Keenan" from teammates.
Allen ranks 13th in receptions (1,055) in league history and is a six-time Pro Bowler. He has 12,051 receiving yards and 70 touchdown catches.
Allen's 9.6 yards per reception in 2025 was a career low, but he likely won't be expected to be a big-play receiver for the Colts. Pierce led the NFL in yards per catch last season, and Indianapolis expects slot receiver Josh Downs to run more downfield routes this year. That should leave ample opportunity for Allen to handle short and intermediate routes.
