NFL Eyes 3-Game Ban for Keenan Allen After .224 BAC Arrest

Q: With his BAC triggering the NFL's extreme intoxication clause, could Keenan Allen face a suspension significantly longer than three games?

Yes. Under the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Allen is facing a minimum three-game suspension, but his reported blood alcohol level of .224 puts him well above the league’s .15 “extreme intoxication” threshold, which gives the NFL grounds to impose a longer ban. That does not mean a significantly longer suspension is certain. The available reporting indicates the three-game penalty is the baseline for a first alcohol-related violation, and the league has discretion to increase discipline when aggravating factors are present, including very high intoxication, felony charges, injury, property damage or prior alcohol- or drug-related misconduct. In Allen’s case, the strongest aggravating factor appears to be the BAC level; the charges are misdemeanors, and the reports do not indicate a crash, injuries or property damage. So the realistic answer is that a suspension longer than three games is possible, and his BAC makes that more than a routine DUI case. But based on what is publicly known, there is not yet strong evidence that he is headed for a dramatically longer punishment absent other aggravating facts or prior history. The timing also matters. The NFL is expected to wait until Allen’s legal case advances before acting, and with an attorney conference scheduled for Oct. 26, any suspension could begin in midseason rather than immediately. For now, he remains eligible to play.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 20

A minimum 3-game suspension could await Colts receiver Keenan Allen after his drunk-driving arrest triggered the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Allen was charged in Indiana with two misdemeanor intoxicated-driving counts, and his reported .224 blood-alcohol level—nearly triple the .08 legal limit—could support a more serious Class A misdemeanor and a longer league ban.
The NFL is expected to wait for Allen’s legal case before acting, with an attorney conference set for Oct. 26, leaving the 34-year-old available in the meantime, including for Week 2 against Kansas City.
Allen already played in Indianapolis’ opener, catching 6 passes for 32 yards in a 41-23 loss to Baltimore, in his first Colts season after signing a one-year deal.