Sounds Like Keenan Allen Isn't Having The Free Agency He'd Hoped

The Chicago Bears traded a 4th round pick for Keenan Allen last year, hoping to give Caleb Williams as many weapons as possible during his rookie season. It worked out fine. Allen had the second-most yards (744) and most touchdowns (7) of all the team's passing targets. Fans hoped the team might try to keep the former All-Pro in town, giving their young quarterback some stability. Unfortunately, the arrival of a new coaching staff led by Ben Johnson made it clear changes were coming to the wide receiver position. Paying Allen a significant contract didn't seem prudent.

It appears the 32-year-old hasn't had the best time on the open market since leaving. His goal from the outset was made clear. He planned to return to Los Angeles to join one of their two teams if he couldn't re-sign with the Bears. One avenue was quickly shut down when the Rams signed Davante Adams to a new deal. That left only the Chargers, his original team, as the remaining option. Based on a recent update from Matthew Schmidt of Sports Illustrated, it sounds like that possibility is also fading.

However, Los Angeles' path to an Allen reunion may just gotten a bit more complicated. Why? Because fellow wide out Stefon Diggs just signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the New England Patriots.

Diggs' deal only features $26 million in guaranteed money, but that is still a heck of a lot more than most expected Diggs—who is coming off of a torn ACL—to land, so it may have increased the price tag for Allen, who is just one year older than Diggs and may actually be a safer pick for 2024.

Allen doesn't exactly have a spotless health record, as he hasn't played a full season since 2019, but he isn't recovering from a severe injury like Diggs, and Allen was actually better than Diggs in 2023.

Keenan Allen is in an awkward spot.

It sounds like the Chargers aren't willing to meet the financial compensation he feels he deserves. That means one of two things must happen, both of which are not ideal. Either he must lower the asking price to something Los Angeles can live with, or he must open up his list of suitors to whoever is willing to meet it. Allen made it pretty clear he had no desire to play anywhere else but Chicago or Los Angeles. How serious he was about that statement is about to be tested.

The Bears don't seem interested in bringing him back, especially after signing veterans Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay since he left. The Chargers have ten picks in the upcoming draft. They are well-equipped to address the wide receiver position without having to fork over money to somebody clearly on the decline. It is a cold reality of the NFL many former greats inevitably face. Keenan Allen has some tough decisions to make.