Indianapolis Colts'linebacker CJ Allen, whom the team took in the second round of this year's draft, did not play any defensive snaps in Sunday's Week 1 loss to Baltimore.
Zero snaps.
The thought all offseason was that he was going to be a Day 1 starter at middle linebacker for the Colts and even wear the green dot. However, that hasn't come to fruition.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said on Tuesday that the injuries that Allen dealt with early in training camp set him back. On Thursday, linebackers coach James Bettcher provided additional insight.
"He's getting better every day. Continues to get reps in practice. His preparation has been awesome -- comes in early, stays late," Bettcher said, via Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan. "There isn't anything
that CJ is not doing from a preparation standpoint; it's just time on the grass. It's time on task. I think we all understand how different the NFL game is from the college game and at the second level, the linebacker position, things happen fast and coverages changes, fronts change, run fits change, and just the opportunity to get the reps doing that, he's getting better every day. And his time will come, and when it does, he's going to go out there and he's going to play well."
Colts linebackers coach James Bettcher on rookie CJ Allen: pic.twitter.com/tuTWFBocK4
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) September 17, 2026
Without Allen, Jaylon Carlies got the start next to Akeem Davis-Gaither, while fellow rookie Bryce Boettcher was rotated in. Carlies didn't record a single tackle the entire game.
Safety Cam Bynum ended up wearing the green dot, which led to numerous communication breakdowns. This week, Davis-Gaither will be tasked with that responsibility.
As far as when we might see Allen on the field, that remains to be seen.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts coach weighs in on CJ Allen's lack of playing time in Week 1
