The Chicago Bears made a splash in free agency trading for Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen, sending a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Chargers had approached Allen about a pay cut but he declined. Shortly after, Allen was a Bear.
“I’m not doing it,” Allen told Chicago reporters of his reaction to LA’s request to restructure his deal. “I just came off my best season.”
As you can imagine, there was plenty of interest in Allen, 31, outside of just Chicago. Allen told reporters there were two other teams interested in acquiring him: the New York Jets and Houston Texans.
The Jets and Texans were also interested in Keenan Allen, according to Keenan Allen. #Bears
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) March 16, 2024
The Texans have the reigning Rookie of the Year in quarterback C.J. Stroud, who’s coming off a sensational season. Meanwhile, the Jets still have Aaron Rodgers, who’s returning from an Achilles injury suffered in Week 1. Then you have the Bears, whose quarterback situation is unclear — be it Justin Fields or Caleb Williams, although it’s looking like the latter.
Ultimately, general manager Ryan Poles was able to do what it took to get a deal done with the Chargers, who also managed to get Allen out of the AFC in the process.
Now, Allen joins a young, ascending Bears team looking to establish themselves as contenders. He sees the pieces in place and believes this team can compete for the playoffs this season, something he’s only done three times in his 11-year career.