Indianapolis Colts rookie starting linebacker CJ Allen will handle vital defensive communication duties for the first time in his professional career on Sunday at home against the Dallas Cowboys. He was initially a top candidate for the role during training camp.
Stepping Into the Role
With veteran starting linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither ruled out due to a knee injury, the green dot responsibilities at the second level of the Indianapolis defense shift to Allen. Playing at the MIKE position, he will make his second career start in the NFL.
Since Davis-Gaither is unlikely to return as a veteran free agent at the end of the year, the Colts could permit Allen to keep the defense’s lone built-in radio speaker and communicate defensive play-calling to his teammates for the remainder of the season. There would be no reason against this unless his performance falters.
Recent Performance and Early Season Issues
Allen proved to be one of the few bright spots during last Sunday’s blowout road defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars, leading the team with 10 tackles and adding a sack. He is projected to become a key component of the Indianapolis defensive core if he continues to develop following his strong debut last weekend.
He takes over a crucial responsibility that sparked an unnecessary controversy at the start of the team’s 2026 season, when veteran safety Cam Bynum handled the green dot duties during a Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
That arrangement led to numerous defensive breakdowns and players out of position because Bynum had to sprint from the backend of the secondary to relay play-calling, limiting pre-snap communication and alignment time. At that point, the Colts were the sole team not assigning green dot duties to a linebacker, a choice that proved costly in Week 1.
Allen takes the field for his green dot debut as the Colts look for a much smoother operation on defense.
