The Chicago Bears acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen in a trade with the Los Angele Chargers earlier this offseason, but he may not be a member of the Bears for very long.
During a recent episode of ESPN 1000’s “Kap and J. Hood” with David Kaplan and Jesse Rogers, both pundits said that it’s very possible Allen may not be with Chicago beyond 2024.
Allen is preparing to enter the final year of his deal and is slated to earn $23.1 million next season.
As productive as he has been throughout his career, it makes sense that the Bears may ultimately view him as a one-and-done player.
First of all, Allen is 32 years old, and a decline could be coming. That didn’t appear to be the case in 2023, when he hauled in 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns in just 13 games, but it’s very possible that Allen could fall off one of these years in the very near future.
Second, Chicago already had DJ Moore when it acquired Allen, and it just spent the ninth overall pick of the NFL Draft on University of Washington receiver Rome Odunze.
Given Odunze’s immense talent and potential, it doesn’t seem likely that the Bears are going to use him as No. 3 receiver for the long haul.
He will certainly begin 2024 behind Moore and Allen on the depth chart, but Chicago is certainly hoping it won’t stay that way as he matures.
Allen, who played his collegiate football at the University of California, was selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
He went on to spend the first 11 years of his career with the Bolts, making six trips to the Pro Bowl. His best season came in 2017, when he caught 102 passes for 1,393 yards and six scores.
We’ll see what Keenan Allen can do in the Windy City in 2024.