When the upcoming NFL season concludes, the Chicago Bears‘ group of pass-catchers may have proven itself the best in the league. Regardless of outcomes, however, it could be tough for the franchise to keep the entire band together beyond 2024.
The reason for that is Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen, who is entering the final year of his $80.1 million contract and looking for an extension beyond the $18.1 million he will earn for the upcoming campaign. All current signs point to Chicago assuming a wait-and-see approach on Allen’s health and production before committing to an expensive, multiyear agreement.
Haize, an analyst with Bleacher Report, predicted on Monday, August 5, that Allen will ultimately play elsewhere after only one year in the Windy City.
“I think Keenan Allen was always meant to be a one-and-done situation for the Chicago Bears. [GM] Ryan Poles, shortly after trading for Keenan Allen, basically confirmed that they’re not gonna really talk contract extensions with him before the season,” he said. “But … the money Keenan Allen is probably gonna want, the fact he already didn’t wanna take a pay cut to stay with the [Los Angeles] Chargers — I think all those things kinda point toward Keenan Allen’s time with the Bears here being short.”
Keenan Allen’s Future With Bears May Have Been Determined by Draft Luck, Landing Rome Odunze
GettyWide receiver Keenan Allen of the Chicago Bears.
Among the strongest arguments against Haize’s take is that Chicago offered up a fourth-round pick to the Chargers for the right to absorb Allen’s salary cap hit of more than $23 million for the 2024 season.
The Bears had plenty of cap space, though that part of the agreement isn’t the biggest deal, but they still surrendered a strong asset and took on a lot of money — not exactly the common structure of a trade that a team makes for a player it only considers part of its short-term future. That said, circumstances changed significantly when wideout Rome Odunze fell into the Bears’ lap at No. 9 in the most recent NFL draft.
An extension for Allen would probably be higher on Chicago’s to-do list if the organization had not landed last season’s NCAA leader in receiving yards (1,640) who helped lead Washington to the National Championship Game.
That Odunze came in the door with No. 1 overall pick and now starting quarterback Caleb Williams puts the offense in a position where it simply may not need to commit big money over several years to a 32-year-old receiver in Allen with a meaningful injury history in recent seasons.
Keenan Allen Has Serious Injury History Stretching Back to 2015
GettyWide receiver Keenan Allen of the Chicago Bears.
Allen missed four games in 2023 due to problems with his heel after a hamstring injury stole seven contests from him the year prior.
The 2022 campaign was the only one in the last seven after which Allen did not find himself on a Pro Bowl team. He won the honor last season despite the time he missed by compiling 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and 7 TDs.
However, another concern is that Allen’s elite level of success is beset on both sides by injury problems. He missed half of the 2015 campaign, his third in the league, due to a lacerated kidney before sitting out all but one game in 2016 due to an ACL tear.
The good news is that none of the four injuries that stole major time from Allen are related, so he is clearly a player who can bounce back. But the wear and tear has to be a concern for the roster builders in Chicago, who now have a young corps of talent constructed around Williams, 22, all of whom are under contract for several years.
Bears Could Look to Get Younger, Cheaper at Wide Receiver Next Offseason
GettyWide receiver Rome Odunze of the Chicago Bears.
Odunze is 22 years old and playing on a four-year rookie contract that includes a fifth-year team option because of his status as a first-round pick. The same is true for his quarterback, meaning both men are highly likely to remain in Chicago through at least 2027 or 2028.
The Bears also signed tight end Cole Kmet, 25, to a four-year, $50 million deal in July 2023 that keeps him under contract through 2027. Chicago then inked star wideout DJ Moore, 27, to a four-year, $110 million extension just last week that will keep him on the roster through 2029.
All that talent begs the question as to whether there are enough targets to go around in what should be a high-octane passing attack. And beyond that, Chicago can look to develop speedster Tyler Scott, 22, into its third option at wideout or seek a possession receiver in the draft or future free agency period who is younger than Allen, will cost less and doesn’t have as serious of an injury history.
That said, should Allen have yet another monster year and prove durable in 2024, the Bears could decide that a front-loaded three-year deal, or the like, makes sense. But for that to happen not only will Allen need to play well and stay healthy, Chicago will also have to achieve real success as a team and come to the conclusion that losing Allen would result in a step back for a franchise poised to charge forward.
