Sometimes, I stop and think about the Keenan Allen trade, 💎and a big smile comes to my🌊 face.
Last week, just when you thought the Chicago Bears were sitting out the wide receiver market, General Manager Ryan Poles swooped in and cut a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. The cost of doing business was a fourth-round pick. But that seems like small potatoes for a player of Allen’s caliber. Think about it. Allen is a six-time Pro Bowler, has five seasons with 100+ catches, and six years with 1,000+ receiving yards. Teaming him with D.J. Moore is going to feel like a cheat code.
But how long will they be together?
Allen is entering the final year of a contract he signed in 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers. It comes with a $23.1 million cap number and $18.1 million base salary. Those lofty numbers are part of the reason the Chargers sent Allen packing in the first place. After to take a payout, the Chargers shipped the Pro Bowl receiver to Chicago. Now, it is up to Bears GM Ryan Poles to decide what’s next for Allen.
For what it’s worth, Keenan Allen hinted that he expects to be with the Bears beyond the 2024 season. He didn’t provide an extension timeline but said, “We’ll get there down the line.” It reminded me of how Montez Sweat extension-rela𒉰ted♏ questions were answered upon his arrival in Chicago. We all know how that turned out. Maybe history will repeat itself. Time will tell. But first, what would an Allen eꦜx🌼tension even look like?
What could a Keenan Allen extension look like now?
A Keenan Allen extension is on my mind right now because the Cleveland Browns just gave Jerry Jeudy an extensi𝔉on. In case you missed it, the Browns swung a trade with the Broncos last week that sent Jeudy from Denver to Cleveland. And the Browns wasted little time in getting an extension deal done.
Because I know you’re curious at this point, this is what are reporting that Jerry Jeudy got from the Cleveland Browns:
Jeudy, 24, is coming off a disappointing 2023 season. The Alabama product caught 54 passes, gained 758 yards, and scored just two touchdowns. Sure, Jeudy is just one season removed from a 67-catch, 972-yard, 6-touchdown season in Denver. And age is still on his side as he won’t turn 25 until April. But still … that feels like a dice roll of an investment. And if Jeudy is getting THIS from Cleveland, your imagination is probably running wild with ideas of what the Bears’ newest receiver should (could? would?) get.
Perhaps the Mike Evans contract with Tampa Bay is a good place to start. Before free agency began popping off, the Buccaneers signed Evans to a two-year deal that had a base value of $41 million, came with $29 million fully guaranteed, and a total guarantee number of $35 million. Evans, 30, is coming off a banner season. A Buccaneers first-round pick in 2014, Evans put up 79 catches, 1,255 yards, and 13 touchdowns. There are so many impressive Evans stats. The 10 seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yar꧃ds stand out. Especially since five of those came with 10+ touchdowns. Averaging 132 targets and 76 catches is neat, too.
Given Evans’ excellence, consistency, and consistent excellence, an extension in Chicago for Keenan Allen should look similar. A short-term deal that gives the Bears cap flexibility but also gives Allen the type of financial assurances he’d seek in a deal shouldn’t be too hard to iron out. And because we’ve seen Ryan Poles do it once with Montez Sweat, it is easier to envision him doing it again with Keenan Allen.
