Keenan Allen Trade: 49ers Get Colts WR for a Sixth-Round Pick

The San Francisco 49ers needed a receiver, and they got a familiar name for not much. In the Keenan Allen trade, the 49ers are acquiring the veteran wideout from the Indianapolis Colts for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to NFL.com.

The deal landed shortly before 2 p.m. ET, a little more than two hours before the NFL's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. For San Francisco it's a cheap bet on a proven pass catcher. For Indianapolis it's one more piece of a teardown that has been going on for weeks.

Keenan Allen trade details

Here's the deal as reported:

• 49ers receive: WR Keenan Allen
• Colts receive: a 2027 sixth-round pick

No players are going back to Indianapolis, per NFL.com's deadline tracker. A sixth-rounder is about as low as the price gets for a starting-caliber receiver, which tells you the Colts' priority was getting anything at all for him.

Why the 49ers wanted a receiver

San Francisco is winning without a full receiver room. The 49ers enter Week 10 with the NFC's best record at 7-1, ESPN reported, even though starters Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel both sat out Sunday's win over the Raiders.

The list behind them is just as banged up. Christian Kirk and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling are on injured reserve, and Ricky Pearsall will miss the rest of the season, according to ESPN. USA Today adds that Demarcus Robinson has also missed time this year.

That's a lot of moving parts for Brock Purdy. Adding Allen gives Kyle Shanahan a reliable route runner who doesn't need to be the No. 1 option. When Evans and Samuel are healthy, Allen slots in as the third receiver. When they aren't, he can carry more of the load.

The 49ers' receiver depth chart after the trade

USA Today's current look at the room:

1. Mike Evans
2. Deebo Samuel
3. Keenan Allen
4. Demarcus Robinson
5. Jordan Watkins
6. Brandin Cooks

That list doesn't include the injured Pearsall, Stribling and Kirk.

Keenan Allen stats in 2026

Allen hasn't put up huge numbers in Indianapolis, but he's been steady in an offense that has struggled. Through eight games, per USA Today:

Those 40 catches led the Colts, Heavy noted. The yards per catch are low, under 9, which fits the role he's played late in his career: a possession receiver who wins on timing and short to intermediate routes rather than deep shots.

Allen, 34, is a six-time Pro Bowl pick who spent most of his career with the Chargers, The Guardian wrote. The move puts him back on the West Coast, and The Guardian reported that he had wanted to join a contender.

Why the Colts said yes

The Colts are selling. After a 2-4 start, Indianapolis fired longtime general manager Chris Ballard and then traded eight-time All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to, yes, San Francisco, The Guardian reported. ESPN calls Allen the third high-profile player the Colts have moved before the deadline.

His contract made the call easy. Allen is on an expiring deal, Heavy pointed out, so if the Colts held onto him he could walk in free agency and leave them with nothing. A sixth-round pick is a small return, but it's better than none.

The bigger question in Indianapolis is whether the selling continues before 4 p.m. Running back Jonathan Taylor and quarterback Daniel Jones have both been mentioned in trade speculation, per The Guardian.

One thing to watch: Allen's off-field case

Before the season, Allen was arrested in Indianapolis and charged with two misdemeanors tied to a drunk-driving stop, Heavy recapped, citing ESPN's earlier reporting. At the time, Schefter reported Allen was facing at least a three-game league suspension under the collective bargaining agreement. Heavy said it isn't clear whether that issue is still pending, so it's worth watching whether the NFL announces anything that affects his availability in San Francisco.

What about Brandon Aiyuk?

The Allen deal also raises the obvious Bay Area question. The NFL reinstated receiver Brandon Aiyuk on Monday and gave the 49ers a two-week roster exemption to decide what to do with him, according to The Guardian. Aiyuk had been on the reserve/left squad list since December 2025.

Shanahan said Monday the status change "means absolutely nothing to our team." Adding Allen suggests San Francisco isn't counting on Aiyuk. He could still be traded before the deadline or released later.

The rest of NFL trade deadline day

Allen was one of the first moves on a slow deadline morning. Elsewhere, according to The Guardian's live coverage:

• The Jaguars added Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second on Monday. That followed their deal for safety Jessie Bates, which we covered in our Jessie Bates trade breakdown.
• A trade sending Eagles edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie to the Bengals fell apart Tuesday before it was finalized.
• The Vikings, with Kyler Murray hurt, have been calling around about quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones and 49ers backup Mac Jones were among the names floated.

The biggest deal of the trading season is still Chicago's move for Jeffery Simmons, covered in our Bears-Titans trade story.

What it means for the 49ers

This is a depth move, not a blockbuster, and that's the point. San Francisco is 7-1 and has been winning with backups at receiver. Allen gives Purdy a sure-handed target for third downs and the red zone, and it costs the 49ers almost nothing in draft capital or long-term salary. If Evans and Samuel get healthy for the stretch run, the 49ers could have one of the deepest receiver groups in the NFC by January.