Bears Do Indeed Have Plans For Keenan Allen Beyond 2024. Here's The Latest

Acquiring Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers was a stroke of genius and good fortune for GM Ryan Poles. He knew the Chicago Bears needed another credible wide receiver presence opposite D.J. Moore. He spent time combing the free agent market, looking for a good fit. That was when he learned the six-time Pro Bowler was available. Despite knowing his team was already strapped for draft picks, he felt Allen was too good of a player to ignore. So he flipped a 4th rounder to L.A., securing the veteran star.

While fans were ecstatic about him furthering his potential Hall of Fame career in Chicago, there was one issue. Allen's contract is entering its final season. He will be a free agent in 2025. That means the Bears have a decision to make. Either they let him walk next year, hoping to secure a compensatory pick when he signs elsewhere. Or they see if they can give him an extension of some kind to keep him with the team for a few more years. GM Ryan Poles made it clear when he met the media at the owners meetings that he thinks Allen has plenty of gas left in the tank.

The Bears are definitely interested in working out an extension.

Keeping Keenan Allen makes sense for the Bears.

For one, he's still a great player. Last year was one of the best of his career, cracking over 1200 yards in only 13 games. His scientific route running means he should remain an effective weapon for at least two or three more seasons, provided he stays healthy. Getting to play across from Moore will only help with that. Defenses won't be able to focus on doubling him as often as they could in L.A. because Mike Williams was always hurt. Moore doesn't miss games, and he's way too good to leave one-on-one with almost any cornerback in the league.

The tricky part will be the price. Keenan Allen got traded out of L.A. because he was unwilling to take a pay cut, so it's reasonable to assume any extension must be close to what he's making now. The Bears won't approach him about it right away, but the two sides are sure to have a dialogue at some point. It will be interesting to see if that dialogue has any impact on the Bears' plans for the draft. If they feel negotiations aren't in a good place, they could decide to draft a receiver high.