SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Wide receiver Keenan Allen was at the Indianapolis Colts facility Tuesday morning meeting with coach Shane Steichen when he was informed that he needed to see interim general manager Ed Dodds.
Unaware that his name was even involved in trade discussions, Allen soon learned that he'd been traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. From there, Allen hustled home, packed a bag and got on a plane, landing in the Bay Area a little past midnight.
On Wednesday, Allen woke up, took a physical at 5:45 a.m. and began acclimating himself to his new surroundings while taking note that overnight he'd gone from the AFC South basement with the 2-7 Colts to the NFC-leading Niners.
That sudden change in the trajectory of his season was enough to help him through a whirlwind first day in San Francisco.
"I get a little boost in the way I feel coming into the building," Allen said. "Just being a part of the guys, it's a hell of a locker room. Obviously, these guys have accomplished so much in the past years... I'm running on just pure energy right now."
For Allen, 34, the biggest adjustment will be learning the terminology of coach Kyle Shanahan's playbook. He said conceptually the scheme is familiar, but all the words are different. Still, when asked what he expects this week, Allen said, simply, "I expect to play."
Whether Allen is able to play out the rest of the season for his new team remains to be seen. He is still in the midst of a legal investigation stemming from an Aug. 30 arrest on suspicion of two misdemeanor offenses of drunken driven in downtown Indianapolis.
In September, prosecutors filed charges against Allen for operating a vehicle with alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 blood-alcohol level or more and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by ESPN, Allen's blood-alcohol level was .224, which triggered the first of those misdemeanor charges.
Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter in September that Allen could be subject to a minimum three-game suspension from the NFL for the arrest -- with the possibly of it being longer due to the high levels of intoxication. As of Wednesday, there's no court date set for Allen, though there's a remote "attorney conference" slated for Dec. 7 as the next step in the process.
Shanahan said the Niners traded for Allen knowing that a suspension was possible and acknowledged Wednesday that it's still a potential outcome.
"We're just waiting," Shanahan said. "We know the league handles that. It could go either way, so waiting for them to say... [A suspension] is still possible."
For his part, Allen said he could not comment on the situation because it is an ongoing legal matter. In the meantime, Allen is doing his best to settle in with the team he nearly joined as a free agent in the offseason.
Before Allen signed with the Colts, he indicated he was in talks with the 49ers about a free-agent deal. Instead, he signed with the Colts and posted 40 receptions for 351 yards and a touchdown in eight games before the trade.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, Allen got plenty of questions about his relationship with fellow wideout Mike Evans. In 2020, Allen and Evans exchanged words on social media when Allen tweeted that the likes of Evans, Chris Godwin and Tyreek Hill are "not a better receiver than me." Evans responded by telling Allen to "be realistic you not on my level bro."
Allen laughed about it on Wednesday, explaining that it's not an issue.
"We squashed it a long time ago," Allen said, laughing. "Everybody wants to bring it back up obviously, but Mike's a hell of a player. He's probably better than me at this point."