The Los Angeles Chargers made headlines last week when they traded star wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears for a 4th round pick. It was a shocking move since the team had already done enough to get under the salary cap. They'd already released wide receiver Mike Williams. One would think they'd want to keep their top weapon for Justin Herbert. Instead, Allen is on a new team. The primary reason for this was that the two sides did not find common ground on his contract. This is where it gets sticky.
New Chargers GM Joe Hortiz spoke with the media on Thursday, stating the team approached Allen about multiple solutions to the contract problem, including a possible extension. He made it seem as if the receiver wasn't willing to work with them, so a trade was made.
Well, it appears that Allen took exception to that narrative. His agent, Joby Branion, took to Twitter (X) to counter those comments with a direct statement. The "extension," as the Chargers called it, involved a significant pay cut. This was despite Allen coming off one of the best seasons of his career. When their counteroffer was rejected, the team chose to pursue a trade.
Keenan Allen was right to resist a pay cut.
Nothing about his play last year justified such a move. He put up over 1200 yards despite missing four games with injuries. He's still a beast on the field, even in his 30s. No player should feel any responsibility to take less money when they're playing at a high level. It's not his fault the Chargers were so terrible at managing their salary cap in recent years. Their efforts to decrease fan backlash by stating they tried to work with him on an extension despite it being a clear slap in the face is typical of how organizations operate.
The Bears won't complain. L.A.'s cheap approach helped them land a stud wide receiver for their young offense. Having Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore together right as they're about to draft a quarterback #1 overall couldn't be better timed. They also have a healthy salary cap, meaning they can handle his contract numbers without issue. The only question is whether they can find common ground on an extension. GM Ryan Poles is good about working through these issues, but time will tell.
