Keenan Allen Expected to Play Through Groin Injury Against Steelers
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported: 'Colts WR Keenan Allen (groin) is expected to play today vs Steelers, per source.'
The are getting some veteran reinforcements just in time for kickoff. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, wide receiver is expected to suit up today against the despite battling a groin injury.
Hearing an aging receiver is playing through a soft tissue issue is the kind of news that makes fantasy managers and prop bettors instantly sweat. A groin injury for a route-running technician like Allen is basically the equivalent of a Formula 1 car with a wobbly steering wheel.
The Colts are rolling into fresh off a 30-13 dismantling of the last week. Adding Allen back into the mix gives their offense another reliable chain-mover against a notoriously physical Steelers defense.
But expecting a full workload might be asking a lot. When veteran receivers try to push through lower-body injuries, they often end up running a lot of cardio as high-priced decoys to pull coverage away from the rest of the offense.
Allen’s entire game is built on sharp cuts, sudden stops, and making defensive backs look silly in tight spaces. If that groin barks on his first hard plant into the turf, the will have to pivot their game plan in a hurry.
Keep an eye on his snap count early in the first quarter. If Allen is actually getting targeted on third downs, the offense just got a massive upgrade. If he is just jogging clear-out routes, it is going to be a long afternoon in Pennsylvania.