Not every rookie linebacker can expect to have the sensational debut that Tennessee’s Anthony Hill Jr. had on Sunday. And no rookie linebacker drafted in the second round expects to be as anonymous as the Indianapolis Colts’ CJ Allen was in his debut on the same day. He didn't play a down in Week 1, but the reason why is unclear. Shane Steichen hasn't cleared up the situation either.
Steichen’s post-game comments may be even more ominous. The coach said, “He was banged up in camp; we’re getting him back into football shape, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Missing the first game does not bode well for the player who was expected to lead a revival of the Colts’ defense in 2026.
CJ Allen’s debut with the Indianapolis Colts was as discouraging as it gets
While Hill, chosen with the 60th pick last April, was racking up 16 tackles in his first NFL game, Allen was in uniform on the bench that he never left.
This is not a case of one spectacular performance by a rookie skewing the curve. Two other rookie linebackers – Miami’s Jacob Rodriguez (pick No. 43 ) and Tampa’s Josiah Trotter (pick #46 ) also started and registered double-digit tackles.
After one week, and with Monday night’s game still to play, that trio of rookies ranks in the top ten in tackles. Hill is first, and Rodriguez is second. Allen (pick No. 53) is still waiting for his first snap.
Allen dealt with injuries this summer, but he was not hurt on Sunday. He was healthy enough to have played in the Colts’ final preseason game two weeks ago, and he was in uniform for Sunday’s game. The coaches simply chose to keep him off the field.
That is almost impossible to justify given the sorry state of the Indy’s linebacking performance in Week 1. The Colts only have five linebackers on the roster, and one – Austin Ajiake – was unavailable against the Ravens. That left Akeem Gaither-Davis, Jaylon Carlies, and fellow rookie Bryce Boettcher as the only active linebackers aside from Allen.
They all struggled on Sunday. Early Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grades give Gaither-Davis a decent score, while Carlies and Boettcher were below average. All three had trouble in pass coverage, as the Ravens consistently scored big in the middle of the field.
Still, Allen remained on the bench.
How odd is it for a healthy player drafted in the first two rounds to not see the field in Week 1? Of the 64 players chosen in the first two rounds this year, six began the year on IR and two were scheduled to play Monday night. Of the other 56, Allen was one of five who did not play on Sunday.
The Jets’ D’Angelo Ponds is recovering from a calf injury and was inactive for Week 1. The Rams Max Klare, who is trapped behind four other tight ends on a very deep roster, was a healthy scratch. The other two players were backup quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson.
Rookies often make an immediate splash at linebacker, as Anthony Hill and Jacob Rodriguez did in Week 1. That is one of the things that makes Allen’s disappearance so worrisome.
Steichen's comment, “We’ll see where it goes from there," well, that has all the earmarks of a coach lowering the bar on lofty expectations. And those expectations were certainly lofty. Here’s what general manager Chris Ballard said about Allen shortly after making the pick back in April.
“He’ll be a green dot guy for us from the get-go. I mean, he’s a face of the program type guy. He’s a really special dude now.”
One week into his career, none of that has proven true. It is still insanely early, and all those things could still come to pass. But for now, he is not a green dot guy. He is not the face of the program. He is not a special dude.
At this point, no one is expecting Allen to perform like Anthony Hill, Jacob Rodriguez, or Josiah Trotter. Right now, Colts fans would just like to see their top draft pick get onto the field.
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