Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen is facing a minimum three-game NFL suspension after being formally charged last week with two misdemeanor offenses from a drunken-driving arrest in downtown Indianapolis last month, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.
An Indianapolis police sergeant encountered Allen around 1:00 a.m. during a traffic investigation after finding his vehicle parked in a no-parking zone and smelling a strong odor of alcohol. Allen registered a .224 blood-alcohol level, nearly three times Indiana’s legal limit of .08, according to a probable cause affidavit.
That reading elevated the case to a Class A misdemeanor under state law, paired with a Class C operating-while-intoxicated charge.
The arrest occurred hours after Allen’s preseason debut on August 29.
The 34-year-old six-time Pro Bowler signed a one-year deal with Indianapolis in August and caught six passes for 32 yards in the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
General manager Chris Ballard addressed the decision to keep Allen on the roster after the incident.
“Good people make mistakes, okay?” Ballard said. “14 years in the league and no issues. Decorated career. Decorated teammate.”
Coach Shane Steichen said on Wednesday that the organization is allowing the legal process to play out. Allen is not expected to miss games while the case moves through the courts.
The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement calls for a three-game suspension in such cases, though the league can lengthen the penalty when a player’s intoxication level is especially high. The NFL is expected to wait until the legal matter concludes before imposing discipline.
An attorney conference is scheduled for October 26.
