Official Prediction for Keenan Allen's First Year With Colts

The Indianapolis Colts padded their thin wide receiver room on Tuesday by signing six-time Pro Bowler and 2017 Comeback Player of the Year, Keenan Allen, to a one-year, $8.32 million deal.

Colts officially now have signed WR Keenan Allen. pic.twitter.com/UOJbeTS3CV
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2026

While the Colts needed a pass-catcher to take the third wide receiver spot, it's also fair to say that Indianapolis brought Allen in due to how Alec Pierce is still recovering from his ankle surgery.

Allen is on the back end of his NFL tenure, so he wasn't signed to put up Pro Bowl-level numbers. Instead, he brings a steady veteran presence to Shane Steichen's offense where the squad needs it most.

In this piece, I'll give a way-too-early prediction on where Allen's numbers will stand for his first season in Indianapolis after reuniting with Steichen.

This prediction assumes that Allen plays the entire 17-game season.

Before we get to the final prediction, it's worth detailing Allen's history with Steichen, as well as his most recent 2025 campaign in Los Angeles.

Let's begin.

Steichen Brought Out the Best in Allen

Shane Steichen talks to Keenan Allen on the sidelines. — Aug 27, 2020; Inglewood, California, United States; Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Shane Steichen (left) talks with receiver Keenan Allen at a scrimmage at SoFi Stadium that was cancelled in the wake of protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Before signing with Indianapolis, Steichen and Allen were together with the Chargers from 2014 to 2020.

While Steichen was the offensive coordinator for two of those years (2019 and 2020), he was involved in the offense for far more than just that.

Below is a breakdown of Steichen's positions through his time with the Chargers.

2014: Offensive Quality Control
2015: Offensive Quality Control
2016: Quarterbacks
2017: Quarterbacks
2018: Quarterbacks
2019: Quarterbacks/Interim Offensive Coordinator
2020: Offensive Coordinator

If we're using those seven seasons as a metric, then Allen put up fantastic numbers when he was linked to Steichen's coaching in any capacity.

In total, Allen posted the following numbers over those seven years. It's worth noting that Allen suited up for only nine games for two of those seasons due to injury (2015 and 2016).

85 games played
553 catches
808 targets
6,351 receiving yards
15 rushing attempts
99 rushing yards
34 touchdowns
4 Pro Bowls
2017 Comeback Player of the Year

In short, it's not hard to see why Allen chose to come to Indianapolis and rejoin Steichen.

Keenan Allen says #Colts HC Shane Steichen, who was his OC years ago with the #Chargers, was a big factor in him coming to Indy:

“It’s been a little bit of back and forth, just me and him personally, without the agent.”

Says other teams had interest but Indy was his choice. pic.twitter.com/V5Ztut3rPg
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) August 19, 2026

Steichen brought out the best version of Allen, and those numbers include three 100-plus-catch and 1,000-plus-yard seasons.

Allen gets reunited with perhaps the most innovative offensive mind he's worked with. Don't let his age fool you either; he can still get the job done, which the next subject will detail.

Allen's 2025 Campaign Was Better Than You Think

Keenan Allen looks for extra yards after a catch. — Nov 16, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) catches a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Allen was 33 last season with the Chargers, and that was his 13th year in the NFL. Despite his age and tread on the tires, he still was a prominent pass-catching option for Justin Herbert.

Even with players like Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Oronde Gadsden on the field with him, he still finished with the most catches (81) and targets (122), the second-most receiving yards (777), and the third-most touchdown receptions (4).

Allen has been nothing but consistent, even in his later seasons. What many could overlook is that he's been so good that he currently ranks 13th all-time in career catches with 1,055.

While that's pretty far from the lead, it's worth considering that if he catches even 50 passes this year, it would give him 1,105. This would put him past Colts legend Marvin Harrison (1,102), placing him fifth all-time.

Regression in the NFL seems to happen out of nowhere, so it's not a given that it won't happen to Allen with the Colts this year.

But if we're going on last season, he shouldn't taper off too much and could easily be a go-to option for quick completions and can still put defensive backs on skates with his elite-level route-running.

Now, the time has come to pull out the crystal ball.

The Prediction

Keenan Allen walks on the field during a Colts joint practice. — Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen watches Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, during a joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons at Grand Park in Westfield. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Allen will operate behind Pierce and Josh Downs and will also compete for targets with tight end Tyler Warren. If we also factor in that Indy's offense runs through superstar Jonathan Taylor, it means Allen's usage could take a hit.

Regardless, the crafty veteran is with a coordinator who knows him well and will scheme up plenty of plays in his favor. I can even see Steichen using Allen in the running game on sweep plays and reverses.

Daniel Jones loves to get rid of the ball quickly, and it helps that he's an accurate QB. Given these circumstances, I'm comfortable with the below prediction for Allen's 2026 with the Colts.

57 catches
601 receiving yards
10.5 yards per catch
8 rushing attempts
45 rushing yards
5.6 yards per carry
5 touchdowns

We'll see just how close these numbers are when Allen's 14th season in the NFL is in the books.

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