The Indianapolis Colts whittled their roster down from the 90-man offseason limit to the 53-man regular-season max Sunday evening, and yes, Keenan Allen made the cut. The veteran wide receiver was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with two misdemeanors for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, but his legal troubles weren’t enough for Indy to part ways with the six-time Pro Bowler.Here are five thoughts on the Colts’ initial 53-man roster, which is still likely to change ahead of their season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
our initial 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/wvOa2aykbD
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 30, 2026Analysis on AllenAllen was charged with DWI/DUI/OWI endangering a person and DWI/DUI/OWI with a blood alcohol level of .08 or more, according to an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department report, hours after he made his Colts preseason debut. The 34-year-old was observed parking a vehicle in a no-parking zone Sunday around 1 a.m. ET, per the report, and when officers spoke to him, they “noticed signs of intoxication.” Allen was released from the Marion County jail Sunday at 3:49 p.m. ET, per online records. His court date is set for Sept. 16, three days after the Colts’ season opener Sept. 13.Allen joined the Colts on a one-year deal worth up to $8.32 million earlier this month, and given his resume, importance to the team’s on-field performance and otherwise clean off-the-field record, it’s no surprise Indianapolis kept him around. This is not a defense of the Colts’ decision to retain him, but rather an explanation of why he wasn’t immediately released. Colts GM Chris Ballard is scheduled to speak to the media Tuesday, and he will surely be asked to explain why the team kept Allen.Meanwhile, the NFL still has the power to suspend Allen for three games without pay if commissioner Roger Goodell determines Allen violated the league’s policy and program on substances of abuse. However, the process for handing out a potential punishment is not always quick. The league has set a precedent for letting the entire legal process finish before levying a punishment for alcohol-related incidents. For example, Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was charged with a DUI in 2024, reached a plea deal to lower the charge to wet reckless driving in July 2025, and his three-game suspension was announced by the NFL in August 2025.Another example: Cowboys edge rusher Charles Snowden was arrested for a DUI in December 2024, reached a plea deal to lower the charge to reckless driving this past January, and the NFL only recently announced in his three-game suspension. Snowden will now serve that suspension at the beginning of the 2026 season as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.Top Plays from Colts @ PatriotsBackup QBThe Colts kept three quarterbacks on their roster: Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Indy has typically rostered three QBs, so the more interesting debate now turns to who serves as Jones’ top backup. Should it be Richardson or Leonard? Colts coach Shane Steichen said he’s in no rush to make a public decision, but we’ll find out soon enough, as the Colts must designate who their emergency third QB is when the season opener begins. That decision will reveal whom Steichen trusts the most to lead the offense in case Jones, who is fully healthy after rehabbing from a torn right Achilles tendon last year, is forced to miss time again in 2026.For what it’s worth, Richardson finished 21-of-33 passing for 249 yards, zero TDs and one interception in three preseason games. He also had 10 carries for 68 yards and lost one fumble while running. Leonard, meanwhile, was 20-of-42 passing for 199 yards, zero touchdowns and two picks. He added six carries for 17 yards and fumbled two snaps, though neither were lost.Shrader wins kicking competitionColts special teams coordinator Brian Mason said all summer that his squad had two starting-caliber kickers in Spencer Shrader and Blake Grupe, but since the Colts could only keep one, they chose to run it back with Shrader. He was a perfect 5-of-5 on field goal attempts in the preseason, including 60- and 61-yarders. Grupe finished 2-of-4 in the preseason, missing 36- and 61-yarders.It appeared Grupe owned the lead in the kicking competition for most of the offseason, but he tapered off once the preseason games began, which opened the door for Shrader to rally and win the job. Shrader, a 2024 undrafted free agent, latched on as the Colts’ starting kicker at the beginning of last season and was putting together a remarkable campaign before suffering a season-ending knee injury last October. Now that he’s fully healthy, the Colts believe Shrader and his big leg offer more upside than Grupe, who was a revelation in relief of Shrader last year.How Sauce Gardner keeps himself groundedJames BoydMissed projectionsDefensive tackle Colby Wooden and running back Ulysses Bentley IV were included in my final 53-man roster projection, but both were waived as the Colts cut down their roster. Bentley was competing with DJ Giddens for the Colts’ third-string running back job. I thought Bentley, a 2025 UDFA, had done enough to supplant Giddens, a 2025 fifth-round pick, in training camp. Bentley repeatedly showed off his soft hands out of the backfield, while Giddens missed a lot of time due to a hamstring injury. Giddens also had a very quiet rookie season last year with just 26 carries for 96 yards, so I thought there was a decent chance the Colts would move on. Ultimately, he survives, and now we’ll have to wait and see if Bentley clears waivers and returns to Indy.Wooden was more of a shocker to me because the Colts acquired him via a trade with the Packers in March that sent linebacker Zaire Franklin to Green Bay. At the time of that trade, it was unclear how healthy star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner would be entering the 2026 season, so it made sense to bring in Wooden as a reinforcement. Buckner underwent neck surgery last December and contemplated retirement before returning for an 11th NFL season. He now says he’s fully healthy, which perhaps helped pave the way for Indy to comfortably part ways with Wooden.Trench depth concernsIndianapolis struck a deal with Buffalo on Sunday that sent center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to the Colts in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick. Van Pran-Granger, a 2024 fifth-round pick, was presumably brought in to take over as the Colts’ backup center. Indy’s need for a second-string center behind starter Tanor Bortolini was painfully obvious throughout training camp and the preseason, as 2024 UDFA Dalton Tucker, 2021 seventh-round pick Jimmy Morrisey and 2026 UDFAs Josh Kreutz and Geno VanDeMark all struggled with snaps. The latter three were all waived.While the Colts were quick to address their center issues, questions remain about the quality of their depth along their offensive line. Indianapolis kept nine offensive linemen, which is on par with previous years, though its backups don’t have much in-game regular season experience.The Colts’ defensive line depth is also an era of concern. Aside from starting defensive tackles Buckner and Grover Stewart, and starting defensive end Laiatu Latu, the Colts don’t have a proven fourth starter on the D-line. Veteran Arden Key will likely start opposite of Latu on the edge because someone has to take the job. However, the rush-by-committee approach the Colts have been trying to sell still leaves a lot to be desired given the lack of production its reserves had throughout training camp and the preseason.
