The Indianapolis Colts have reportedly signed veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen to a one-year contract, officially making one of the most underrated moves of the 2026 offseason.
And not to be hyperbolic, but it could be a move that helps them in the tight margins throughout the season, and potentially pushes the Colts back into true contention for the AFC South.
Even at the age of 34, Allen still has it. He led the Los Angeles Chargers in total targets (122) last year, despite signing around this same time last season, and that came after he was second on the Bears with 121 targets the year prior.
Regardless of how much older he's getting, Allen hasn't lost his best superpower as an NFL wide receiver: Being a quarterback's best and most trusted friend. And for Daniel Jones, that might be what he needed the most at the wide receiver position in 2026.
Keenan Allen can be an underrated missing piece for the Colts' offense
It's a shame the Colts didn't have Keenan Allen on the roster when Philip Rivers came out of retirement. That would have been quite the sight to see.
Allen has had a minimum of 121 targets in each of the last three seasons, and the only times throughout his NFL career that he didn't have at least 100 targets were injury-shortened seasons. Over the last two years, he has a combined 151 receptions, 11 touchdowns, and 92 first-down catches.
His best work recently has been on 3rd downs. He caught 66.7 percent of his targets on 3rd down plays last season (34-of-51) for an average of 10.4 yards per reception. Out of those 34 receptions on 3rd down, 29 moved the chains.
The Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers this offseason, then gave a huge contract to Alec Pierce. Losing Pittman creates a huge void to be filled for the offense, regardless of what everyone thinks of him as a player. And Pierce has never proven he can be the true go-to threat in an offense. Not only that, but he's currently dealing with an ankle issue that may have been the catalyst for the Colts going after Allen in the first place.
Second-year tight end Tyler Warren is likely going to be the Colts' leader in targets this season. Pierce will be expected to take on a high volume of targets as soon as he's physically able to be on the field consistently. Josh Downs will be a secondary threat once again. But there is absolutely no question that the Colts' receiver position had been a concern.
For the time being, Allen can provide a bandage. He's not a long-term fix for anything, but he can still get the job done where it matters the most. And that's something a lot of receiver-needy teams around the league are going to wish they had for their quarterbacks.
This is a player who can still get open despite his age and speed. He's still got outstanding hands. He can still move the chains.
What team doesn't need more players like that?
For a Colts team attempting to get back to the level we saw before their bye last season, the move to get Allen is a game-changer.
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