Colts' Keenan Allen and Falcons' Za'Darius Smith sit out the teams' first joint practice

WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Keenan Allen took his spot on the sideline at Wednesday's practice and did the same thing as all the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons fans in the stands. He just watched.

New Atlanta edge rusher Za'Darius Smith hadn't even made it to town for the first of this week's two joint practices.

All that could change Thursday.

Less than 48 hours after agreeing to a one-year contract with the Colts, Allen arrived at Grand Park Sports Complex, ready to get acclimated for his next test — practicing with his new teammates.

“Knowing the offense, being able to come in and be ready to go right away,” Allen said, explaining why he picked the Colts. “We're just going to feed off each other, everybody's going to get some and love and just make plays.”

Allen flew in Tuesday night and spent the first part of Wednesday reuniting with Colts coach Shane Steichen, who was an assistant with the Chargers during Allen's first seven seasons in the league.

The Colts envision the 34-year-old Allen giving them the same kind of production he's had throughout his 13 NFL seasons, 12 with the Chargers as the franchise's career leader in receptions (985). He broke the record when he returned to the team last season after one season with Chicago.

“The production he's had in this league and the consistency and professionalism he's brought throughout his entire career has been phenomenal,” Steichen said. “So to add that type of guy to our roster is great for our whole team.”

Atlanta also was missing a its new addition — the 33-year-old Smith, who signed a one-year deal Tuesday, reuniting him with coach Kevin Stefanski. The two worked together in Cleveland in 2023 and 2024.

Stefanski had no scheduled media availability Wednesday, so was unclear if Smith would practice Thursday. Atlanta and Indy will square off Saturday in a preseason game.

The Falcons hope Smith can help offset the losses of linebacker Jalon Walker, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, and edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who will serve a league-imposed eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy following a domestic violence arrest in February.

The blue wave of Colts jerseys in the stands for the joint practice included a sprinkling of “Rise Up” paraphernalia and black Falcons jerseys, including a father-son tandem wearing Matt Ryan's No. 2 and Bijan Robinson's No. 7.

Robinson was on the field with another high-priced running back: Indy's Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champ.

There were two quarterbacks who continued working their way back from season-ending injuries — Indy's Daniel Jones and Atlanta's Michael Penix Jr. Jones has been under no restrictions at training camp after tearing his right Achilles tendon. Penix, who played in college at Indiana, has been limited to seven-on-seven drills as he recovers from yet another torn ligament in his left knee.

Falcons receiver Drake London wowed the crowd with a catch over the top of a Colts defender.

While there was some playful banter and hooting and hollering after each team's big plays, the teams avoided any of the fights that marred Tuesday's joint practice between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.

“I'm really thankful,” Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom said. “The Colts guys, they were here to work today. There was no nonsense, and it was like so great. Guys didn't take anything personal, there was no chippiness. It was just a clean good workday.”

The lone scare came when Colts tight end Tyler Warren headed to the injury tent with a non-contact injury. Steichen said Indy's 2025 first-round pick suffered a right groin injury.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws during a joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts at the team's NFL football training camp in Westfield, Ind., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) throws during a joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons at the team's NFL football training camp in Westfield, Ind., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ben Nikkel (34) works against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes (21) during a joint practice at the team's NFL football training camp in Westfield, Ind., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Mekhi Rodgers (36) breaks up a pass to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Keelan Marion (85) during a joint practice at the Colts' NFL football training camp in Westfield, Ind., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) cuts between wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. (82) and wide receiver Chris Blair (19) during a joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts at the team's NFL football training camp in Westfield, Ind., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles district attorney has backed off felony charges against a police officer who secretly recorded his colleagues making racist remarks after facing criticism the response was too harsh and could deter whistleblowers from coming forward.

Los Angeles Police Officer Daniel Flores was charged in July with 16 felonies after he shared recordings last year that captured officers in LAPD's recruitment division making racist and sexist comments. He reported those recordings to the LAPD's internal affairs in early 2025. The Los Angeles Times first reported the existence of the tapes at the time.

More than a year after the tapes were shared, District Attorney Nathan Hochman charged Flores for violating a decades-old California eavesdropping statute that prohibits secret recordings without informed consent of all parties present. He faced up to 13 years in prison.

But those charges prompted swift backlash, including from Flores' attorney, who said it was wrong to prosecute Flores for exposing bad behavior. Attorney Alan Jackson told the LA Times in July that the charges sent a message that “if you document bigotry inside the LAPD, you will be the one who ends up in a courtroom. It tells them the safe move is to hear slurs and say nothing.”

Hochman on Wednesday said he still believed Flores violated the law, but announced that prosecutors would downgrade all 16 charges to misdemeanors. That will allow Flores to enter a diversion agreement, which means he can avoid jail time as long as he doesn't violate any laws for a year. Jackson did not respond to an emailed request for comment on Wednesday morning.

Hochman said his office was “listening to the impact the case was having on potential whistleblowers” when it decided to reduce the initial charges, which he said, “sent the wrong message” to the public.

Hochman vehemently denounced the comments made by the other officers, saying the remarks amounted to “hate speech.” But he said that there wasn’t evidence that they amounted to a hate crime, which prevented his office from criminally prosecuting those who made the comments.

The recordings Flores shared with LAPD internal affairs showed other officers making a wide array of offensive comments. Officers joked about a famous Latino baseball pitcher dying from eating “too many tacos,” invoked racist tropes about Black people, and on one occasion called a young LAPD recruit “rapeable” because they were “someone who could be taken advantage of,” according to a motion filed by the district attorney's office.

Hochman condemned the officers’ remarks on Wednesday, but said that he still adamantly believes Flores should face some consequences for breaking the law. He said he hoped his decision would encourage officers to work with the district attorney’s office to gather evidence through legal channels.

“Here we have an LAPD officer who should know the law better than anyone else,” he said, adding later that his office works “every single day with individuals who are whistleblowers who have brought wrongdoing forward through legitimate means.”

Carney Shegerian, a California-based attorney who frequently represents whistleblowers and pursues litigation on their behalf, called the entire case “disappointing.”

On the one hand, he said, that the district attorney shouldn’t have capitulated to public outcry since it's clear that state law prohibiting secret recordings was broken.

On the other hand, he said, it falls on the LAPD that there are still officers who espouse bigoted rhetoric — and that officers like Flores clearly feel like they have little legal recourse to respond.

“It’s unfortunate this cop obviously didn’t have the confidence in the LAPD that they would look into it or they would believe him,” he said, adding that Flores would be protected against retaliation from the LAPD under state civil whistleblower laws.

Flores was found guilty in a separate, internal LAPD investigation, and given a 22-day suspension without pay, the LA Times reported. It is not clear whether Flores served that time. The LAPD also opened confidential disciplinary hearings against the officers who made the comments, but the department has not said whether anyone has been disciplined.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman delivers remarks at a press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Safiyah Riddle)