There is still over a month of football left to be played for the Chicago Bears, but soon it will be time to start having discussions about which players will stay or go when the 2025 offseason begins. One such player who is set to hit free agency is wide receiver Keenan Allen, whom the Bears acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers last offseason for a fourth-round pick.
Up to this point in the season, Allen hasn’t produced like he had when he was a member of the Chargers for a decade. The perennial Pro Bowl receiver is averaging just 40.9 yards per game and has 368 yards with three touchdowns. At 32 years old, Allen doesn’t have too many seasons left, and next offseason might be his last chance to get a big payday, but he already has a shortlist of teams in mind.
Allen joined “The Big Dog Show” with teammate Marcedes Lewis and David Kaplan, and they were talking about the receiver’s future plans and if they involve the Bears. Allen indicated he nor his agent have had any conversations with general manager Ryan Poles but did offer up where he would like to be in 2025. “I will say this: I’m not playing—it’s Chicago or LA.,” Allen said. Kaplan brought up the New York Giants as a hypothetical option, and Allen quickly shot that down. “No, definitely not the Giants,” he said with a laugh.
So if Allen has his way, he would sign back with the Bears, or go back west to play for the Chargers, or even perhaps the Los Angeles Rams. It makes sense, given that he has four children and probably doesn’t want to uproot his life again, but it also shows he enjoys playing with quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the offensive players. Lewis said himself he hopes to come back for one more year and believes it “behooves” the Bears to re-sign Allen as well.
That might prove to be difficult, however. The Bears already have DJ Moore and Rome Odunze locked up for at least the next three years, and they have holes to fill at other positions. Allen was paid $23 million this season and it remains to be seen what he will command in terms of a price tag after he reportedly rejected a pay cut from the Chargers last year. Plus, the Bears may not be as motivated to re-sign Allen given his overall drop-off in production.
We will see soon enough what the Bears plan to do with Allen, Lewis, and the rest of their impending free agents. Hopefully, Allen can build off his eight-catch, 86-yard performance from last week and finish the season on a high note after a slow start. That will certainly help his chances of landing a new contract in Chicago.
