The Chicago Bears have pulled off a massive trade getting one of the best wide receivers in the game today, even though it is not the one the NFL world has been waiting for on pins and needles.
The Bears are acquiring Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick (No. 110 overall), NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday night.
FOX’ Sports Jay Glazer initially reported the news.
As the ‘Windy City’ is still waiting with baited breath to see what will happen with quarterback Justin Fields and the team’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears have bolstered their receiver room by adding a six-time Pro Bowl wideout in Allen, who was asked to take a hometown discount by the Bolts, but said no thanks, Rapoport reported.
The Chargers would have been responsible for a $34.7 million salary cap with Allen’s current deal. It was one of four $30-million-plus cap hits on the books, along with wide receiver Mike Williams and pass rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. Los Angeles released Williams on Wednesday and restructured Bosa and Mack’s deals on Thursday to keep them in the fold. With Allen refusing to take concessions, he is now being traded after 11 seasons with the Chargers in a move he did not fathom as recently as February when he made his latest Pro Bowl trip.
The Bears have plenty of cap space, with $56.3 million available, per Over the Cap, however, it would seem farfetched that serious number crunching would not be in order. Allen, who will be 32 years old in April, is entering the final season of a four-year, $80 million contract with a base salary of $18.1 million. He is also coming off one of the best seasons of his outstanding career, having snagged a career-high 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven scores.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn paper, it should be a match made in heaven and Allen and opposite field stretcher D.J. Moore should be a dynamic duo. Whether he is catching balls from Fields or perhaps Caleb Williams, who is projected by many experts to be the first overall pick of the draft, remains to be seen.
“We’re extremely excited to add Keenan to our team,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. “His body of work speaks for itself and we look forward to him elevating our offense.”
On the other hand, for the Chargers, this trade puts a bow on a major chapter in franchise history.
Allen is second behind only Antonio Gates with 904 catches and 10,530 yards and they are the only two Chargers players to eclipse 900 receptions and 10,000 yards. His 59 touchdowns are third in franchise history.
“What Keenan Allen has meant to the Chargers for more than a decade cannot adequately be expressed through mere words,”
Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said in a statement. “Keenan’s impact lives in the hearts of our fans, in the communities which he has served and amongst the countless teammates who have formed a brotherhood with him. There will only be one Keenan Allen, and we cannot thank him enough for the contributions he has made to our organization both on and off the field.”
With Allen set to move on, Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston are next in line to take over the mantle as the Chargers’ top receivers. Los Angeles has the No. 5 pick in the draft, and considering the rich receiver class, it leaves little doubt that the Chargers will look to invest in that position.
