WESTFIELD, Ind. — Veteran receiver Keenan Allen took his spot on the Indianapolis Colts’ sideline Wednesday and did the same thing as all the fans in the stands. He just watched practice.
Veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, whose signing by the Atlanta Falcons was announced Tuesday, hadn’t even made it to town for the first of this week’s two joint practices between these two NFL teams.
All that could change Thursday.
Less than 48 hours after agreeing to a one-year contract with the Colts, Allen arrived at Grand Park Sports Complex, ready to get acclimated for his next test: practicing with his new teammates.
“Knowing the offense, being able to come in and be ready to go right away,” Allen said, explaining why he picked the Colts. “We’re just going to feed off each other, everybody’s going to get some and love and just make plays.”
The six-time Pro Bowl selection flew in Tuesday night and spent the first part of Wednesday reuniting with Colts head coach Shane Steichen, marking a reunion of sorts.
Steichen was a defensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers in 2011-12 and, after spending the 2013 season with the Cleveland Browns, returned to his former club for the next seven seasons — a stretch in which the franchise moved to Los Angeles ahead of the 2017 season — and worked on the other side of the ball this time around, culminating in his rise to offensive coordinator.
Allen was a third-round draft pick for the Chargers in 2013 and spent his first 11 seasons with the club.
The Colts envision the 34-year-old being the same kind of player he has throughout his 13 NFL seasons, all but one of those with the Chargers while becoming the franchise’s career leader in receptions (985). He broke the record when he returned to Los Angeles last year after one season with the Chicago Bears.
“The production he’s had in this league and the consistency and professionalism he’s brought throughout his entire career has been phenomenal,” Steichen said. “So to add that type of guy to our roster is great for our whole team.”
Atlanta also was missing its new addition — the 33-year-old Smith, who signed a one-year deal that reunites him with coach Kevin Stefanski. The two worked together in 2023 and 2024 with the Cleveland Browns, the team that fired Stefanski in January to end his six-year tenure as head coach.
Stefanski had no scheduled media availability Wednesday, so it was unclear if Smith would practice Thursday. The Falcons and the Colts will square off Saturday in a preseason game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The Falcons hope Smith can help offset their defensive pass rush’s losses of linebacker Jalon Walker, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, and edge James Pearce Jr., who will serve a league-imposed eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy in connection with a domestic violence arrest in February.
The blue wave of Colts jerseys in the stands for the joint practice included a sprinkling of “Rise Up” paraphernalia and black Falcons jerseys, including a father-son tandem wearing former quarterback Matt Ryan’s No. 2 and current running back Bijan Robinson’s No. 7.
Robinson was on the field with another high-priced running back: the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ.
There were two quarterbacks who continued working their way back from season-ending injuries: Daniel Jones for Indianapolis and Michael Penix Jr. for Atlanta. Jones has been under no restrictions at training camp after tearing his right Achilles tendon last season. Penix, who played in college at Indiana, has been limited to seven-on-seven drills as he recovers from yet another torn ligament in his left knee, with this one ending his second pro season last fall.
Falcons receiver Drake London wowed the crowd with a catch over the top of a Colts defender.
While there was some playful banter and hooting and hollering after each team’s big plays, the teams avoided any of the fights that sometimes mar joint practices as tension builds toward regular-season openers.
“I’m really thankful,” Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom said. “The Colts guys, they were here to work today. There was no nonsense, and it was like so great. Guys didn’t take anything personal, there was no chippiness. It was just a clean good workday.”
The lone scare came when Colts tight end Tyler Warren headed to the injury tent with a noncontact injury. Steichen said Warren, the team’s first-round pick in the 2025 draft, suffered a right groin injury.