We May Know Why Bears Backed Off Keenan Allen Extension Talks

It felt like when Keenan Allen first arrived a few months ago, the Chicago Bears were more than willing to entertain the idea of extending the six-time Pro Bowler. He wanted to get the lay of the land first. Since then, the wide receiver reportedly approached the team about contract talks. However, in a surprise twist, the Bears declined, choosing to postpone such plans until after the bye week later this season. Some speculated they wanted to make sure he was still the same player he was in Los Angeles at age 32 while also avoiding any injuries.

However, there may be another reason. Last week, Albert Breer of the MMQB caught up with the Bears at training camp. He reported that running back D'Andre Swift had lost 15 lbs to reach 205, which explained his added quickness and burst. What people seemed to miss (including this reader) was the other notable update.

A big part of that is what’s around him, which is a loaded group of skill guys. D’Andre Swift’s lost weight, down from 220 (where he was with Detroit) to about 205, and has looked lightning quick at the start of camp. From there, a big receiver group—with Keenan Allen at 230, D.J. Moore at 220 and Rome Odunze at 215—should be a handful in the open field, and Allen and Moore have been great for Odunze, who was very much a pro already despite coming in as a rookie.

Allen is listed at 211 lbs and has been for his entire career. This means he was 19 lbs overweight when he arrived at camp if Breer's information is correct. It would explain why he looked somewhat slow in the game against Buffalo on Saturday, according to onlookers. It would also clarify why the Bears are reluctant to extend him.

Keenan Allen has a lot of questions to answer.

Remember, Matt Eberflus is big on conditioning. He expects his players to be in top shape at all times. If the Bears feel Allen arrived overweight, it would raise alarm bells about his commitment. Now, there is a possibility the veteran expected to play himself into shape during training camp. That is something many players do. He still has three weeks until the regular season begins. Nobody has indicated a potential problem in practice. Allen is still a technical wizard who can get open with sharp route-running.

That said, the spotlight is on him now. D.J. Moore got his extension and looked fine in Buffalo. Rome Odunze isn't going anywhere. Keenan Allen is the only one of the four major skill guys set to be a free agent next year. That means he has to play well. He can't expect to do that if he's 19 lbs overweight, especially at 32 years old. It could all be a misunderstanding. Maybe Breer misprinted the number, but that feels unlikely. Whatever the case, Allen has to show there is nothing wrong with his game.