Keenan Allen's arrest over the weekend isn't expected to keep him out of the Indianapolis Colts' season opener.
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Allen, 34, was arrested early Sunday morning on preliminary misdemeanor charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle while intoxicated while endangering a person.
According to Indianapolis police, officers encountered Allen shortly after 1 a.m. after seeing a vehicle park in a no-parking zone. Police said officers noticed signs of intoxication while speaking with the six-time Pro Bowl receiver, who was arrested following further investigation.
The Colts initially said they were gathering information.
On Tuesday, general manager Chris Ballard offered considerably more.
"Good people make mistakes," Ballard told reporters. "He's a tremendous human being. Give him some grace and he'll work through the process of the legal system."
Ballard said the Colts are handling the situation internally and expect Allen to be available when Indianapolis opens the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13.
"We should be good," Ballard said. "We feel good, unequivocally, about who Keenan Allen is."
Allen joined Indianapolis in August on a one-year contract worth up to $8.32 million. He caught one pass for 24 yards in Saturday's preseason loss to the Detroit Lions, hours before his arrest.
Ballard strongly defended Allen's character, noting his lengthy NFL career without previous issues.
"We want to freaking kill people when they make one mistake in a 14-year career," Ballard said. "Give people grace."
The legal process remains ongoing, and any potential NFL discipline would be handled separately by the league.
