While most of the top flight NFL free agents have already signed, wide receiver Keenan Allen remains available. There has been minimal buzz about a potential return to the Chicago Bears. However, nothing is official until Allen’s name is on the dotted line.
Despite the noise being quite, Allen is still a coveted wide receiver in the NFL. He may have had a down year with the Bears, but he has still been to the Pro Bowl six times. As teams around the league look for receiving help, there may not be a more potent option than Allen available.
Because of that, Chicago will have competition if they want to bring Allen back into the fold. Nick Shook of NFL.com thinks the Las Vegas Raiders make for the best fit as Allen looks for his next NFL home.
“When I watched the Raiders scrape together a few wins late last season, I was constantly reminded of how physically small their receiving corps was, with Tre Tucker and DJ Turner, both 5-foot-9, contributing a fair amount,” Shook wrote. “Yes, they do have 2024 receiving leader Jakobi Meyers, who is 6-2, in the fold already, but with Turner hitting the market, why not bring another taller target in to help Geno Smith?”
“The 6-2 Allen knows the AFC West quite well, thanks to the many years spent with the Chargers,” Shook continued. “By the end of last season, Las Vegas felt like an afterthought, but by hiring Pete Carroll and acquiring Smith, the Raiders quickly shifted their identity and now appear focused on climbing up the NFL ladder, with a group of veterans leading the way. Adding Allen to the mix will be fun, I promise.”
Keenan Allen’s run with Chicago Bears
The Bears acquired Allen in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round draft pick. The hope was that Allen would make rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ transition into the NFL a bit easier. That plan worked in some regards and failed in others.
Allen lead Chicago with seven receiving touchdowns. So when the Bears were in the red zone, or if Williams ever had the offense in a position to score, the quarterback was quick to look Allen’s way. Replacing that scoring output will be difficult for the Bears.
However, Allen had just 70 receptions for 744 total yards. That was his lowest total in a season with 11+ games played over his entire career. The wide receiver did not end up being the offensive dynamo Chicago was hoping for.
But that wasn’t all his fault. The Bears went through numerous play callers, had arguably the worst offensive line in the league and a quarterback still learning the NFL ropes. It’s an intriguing thought to image Allen in Chicago’s new look offense with Ben Johnson at the helm. But the Bears may not have an opportunity to make that reality.
Allen heads out West
If Allen were to truly sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, he would be joining an offense going through plenty of changes in their own right. After hiring Pete Carroll as their next head coach, the Raiders decided to trade for quarterback Geno Smith.
When he looks to pass, star tight end Brock Bowers will be his first option. He burst onto the scene as a rookie, catching 112 passes for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. Bowers will continue to be the top option in Las Vegas and make teams around the league re-evaluate the tight end position.
Jakobi Meyers is considered the Raiders WR1. He made 87 catches for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. It was the first time Meyers had broken 1,000 yards receiving, but he became a necessity once Davante Adams departed He will again be viewed as a key passing weapon for Las Vegas in 2025.
But the Raiders could use at least one more playmaker. If Smith wants to create fireworks in his first year with the Raiders, having a player of Allen’s caliber would certainly do the trick. Las Vegas would be a dangerous force with a three-headed receiving monster of Bowers, Allen and Meyers.
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