Newly acquired wide out Keenan Allen gave the media his thoughts on a potential contract extension after 2024
The Chicago Bears are wheeling and dealing to start this 2024 offseason. GM Ryan Poles has made a concerted effort to try and improve this team one roster move at a time, including a blockbuster trade for former All-Pro and Pro-Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen, who has spent his entire 11-year career with the San Diego and Los Angeles Chargers.
Last season, Allen only appeared in 13 games, but made the most of those appearances. He caught 108 balls for 1,243 yards and reached the end zone 7 times for the struggling Chargers. Los Angeles is currently undergoing a massive rebuild, as this move wasn’t a shock to many when it broke just a few nights ago.
In April, Allen will turn 32 years old, and will have his sights set on another contract extension. This could be one of his last chances to cash in on the fantastic career he’s had up to this point.
Contract extensions can always be a tricky subject in the NFL, especially for aging players like Allen himself. We all witnessed how the Chicago Bears handled the Jaylon Johnson situation, who’s a much younger player at a more valuable position (DB). A deal was almost not made as Johnson was nearly traded last season. It will be interesting to see how they handle this extension going forward.
When Allen was asked about his thoughts on potentially sticking around in Chicago for the duration of his career with a possible extension, he said he was just worried about this season before making any outrageous claims.
#Bears WR Keenan Allen was asked if it was his expectation that he would sign a new contract with the #Bears. Anything cooking?
“Not really. Just taking it one day at a time. Got one year left, and we’ll see what happens.”
— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) March 16, 2024
Will the Chicago Bears try to extend Keenan Allen before the season starts?
Trading a fourth rounder for a rental wide receiver could be risky. However, with someone as talented as Keenan Allen being that said rental, it could be entirely worth it. He clearly has plenty left in the tank after putting up some impressive numbers in a tough situation last year.
Money wise, I’m not exactly sure how much Allen will want. He’s set to make 18 million in base salary next season, resulting in a 23 million dollar cap hit for the Bears. If he indeed does well again, that number could go up, regardless of his age.
With all of the hype surrounding Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears, it will be interesting to also see how Allen approaches playing with such a young QB. Williams could very well become a project and may not blossom into the player this organization wants him to be for a few years, leaving Allen to likely pursue other options in free agency next season.
Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore will be very exciting to watch together in the 2024-25 season. Now, the attention turns to who will be throwing them the ball. Justin Fields, or Caleb Williams?
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