The Colts are making a change to their defensive operations after getting blown out by the Ravens in Week 1.
Head coach Shane Steichen said on Wednesday, via multiple reporters, that linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither will wear the helmet transmitter and relay defensive calls to the rest of the unit this week. Safety Cam Bynum wore the green dot for the Ravens game.
The move comes a day after defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said that the team was considering a change because of a number of communications breakdowns that helped the Ravens roll up 506 yards of offense in a 41-13 win. Davis-Gaither will be lined up in a more central spot on defense while Bynum was playing deeper in the secondary.
The Colts will put the new system to the test in Kansas City on Sunday night.
Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen has been formally charged with a pair of misdemeanors related to his August arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.
According to multiple reports, Allen has been formally charged with with operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration equivalent (ACE) of 0.15 or more and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The former charge is a Class A misdemeanor which carries a possible jail sentence of up to one year and a fine of no more than $5000. The other charge can result in a jail term of no more than 60 days and a fine of no more than $500.
Colts General Manager Chris Ballard said that any team discipline would be handled internally. Allen also faces possible league discipline, which is typically a three-game suspension for alcohol-related offenses. Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star notes that the collective bargaining agreement allows for enhanced penalties given Allen’s ACE level.
Allen played in last Sunday’s loss to the Ravens and had six catches for 32 yards.
After the 2025 season, Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward said that, if he gets another concussion, he’ll “probably retire.” To avoid that, he decided to try a Guardian Cap during the Week 1 game against the Ravens.
“I was scared to get knocked out again for real,” Ward said earlier this week, via James Boyd of The Athletic. “So I just put a Guardian Cap on. I warmed up with it, and it felt good . . . I just kept it on all game. So I might as well keep it for the season. It’s not gonna hurt me.”
The real question is whether it helps.
“I don’t know if it made a difference or not,” Ward said. “I got a headache right now. I don’t think it’s a concussion, but it is what it is. It’s football, man. You’re gonna get dinged up . . . I know what I signed up for.”
The full benefits of the Guardian Cap aren’t known. It helps with low-impact hits to the helmet. For bigger blows, will it make a difference?
One thing no helmet can do is prevent the brain from bouncing against the skull when the head quickly decelerates. Which is one way to get a concussion.
The NFL has a somewhat complicated relationship with the Guardian Cap. When the device was first adopted for use in practice, the league prevented players from wearing them during games. That position has changed; there are now one or two players in most games who can be seen wearing one.
The league is keenly aware of the aesthetics of the Guardian Cap. They’re bulky. They diminish the appearance of the helmet. Even the new model, which doesn’t require a cover for placement of logos and stripes, doesn’t look the same as the helmet.
As helmets improve, the argument is that they are as effective as prior technology plus a Guardian Cap. But, still, the Guardian Cap will always provide an additional layer of cushioning.
And it’s impossible to tell a player who wants to wear one that he can’t do it. Even if it doesn’t help that much. Even if it can create a false sense of security. Even if it doesn’t look great on TV. At this point, if it helps a player like Ward break the tie between continuing his career and not playing, it needs to be among the available pieces of protective equipment for a game that is inherently hazardous to the human brain.
There is some positive news on the injury front for one of Kansas City’s top rookies.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the current belief is that cornerback Mansoor Delane suffered only a short-term shoulder injury during Monday night’s win over the Broncos.
Rapoport noted that Delane’s X-Rays and CT scans came back clean. Delane was also set to undergo an MRI on Monday.
Delane likely aggravated a previous shoulder injury that he had dealt with during the offseason program and training camp.
The No. 6 overall pick of this year’s draft, Delane registered his first career interception on only his third career snap during Monday’s victory — ending Denver’s first possession.
But Delane landed on his shoulder on that same play, which sidelined him for the rest of the game.
The Chiefs will play the Colts on Sunday night in Week 2.
The Colts waived cornerback Johnathan Edwards on Monday, the team announced.
Edwards was inactive for Sunday’s game against the Ravens.
He originally signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent on May 9, 2025.
As a rookie, he appeared in 14 games, with five starts, and totaled 24 tackles, three passes defensed and two special teams stops.
Collegiately, Edwards appeared in 45 career games at Tulane (2024) and Indiana State (2021-23) and recorded 124 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 22 passes defensed and one forced fumble.
