EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 06: Keenan Allen #13 of the Los Angeles Chargers celebrates after catching a pass with one hand during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on November 06, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Keenan Allen made claims of two other teams looking to trade for him before his move to the Chicago Bears, and we’re inclined to believe him.
The Bears landed Allen in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday, augmenting their wide receiver group with one of the best pass catchers in the NFL. While he’s already 31 and missed four games in 2023, Allen still made 108 receptions for a total of 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns.
It appears Chicago had to move past some competition to get a deal for Allen over the line as he revealed that both the New York Jets and Houston Texans were keen on acquiring him ahead of his exit from L.A, per The Athletic’s Adam Jahn.
A move to either of those teams would have been intriguing as Allen playing alongside either Aaron Rodgers or C.J. Stroud is a mouthwatering prospect. Still, we are likely to see him catching his passes from Caleb Williams in 2024, which is possibly just as enticing.
“We’re extremely excited to add Keenan to our team,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said of the trade, reported on ESPN. “His body of work speaks for itself and we look forward to him elevating our offense.”
Keenan Allen Enters A Great Situation
As mentioned above, Williams is likely going to be the one under center for Chicago next season, yet it’s hardly a foregone conclusion as Justin Fields can’t quite be ruled out yet. While reports indicate that the Bears have decided to move on from him and the former USC star, Fields remains on the roster and there isn’t much buzz around him.
Allen is coming into a great situation in Chicago as he’s going to be part of a formidable tandem including D.J. Moore, who hauled in 96 catches for 1,364 yards and eight touchdowns last term.
The Chargers, meanwhile, look worse for wear on the back of the trade, with their offense now threadbare ahead of the upcoming season.
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