CLAD IN HIS Chicago Bears gear on the College of Southern California’s professional day on March 20, Keenan Allen exchanged pleasantries together with his potential future quarterback, Caleb Williams, and Bears personnel.
It was a second that may have appeared implausible per week earlier than. The 2024 season was speculated to be the ultimate 12 months of Allen’s contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Allen, who spent his total 11-year profession with the Chargers, made an effort on the finish of final season to pledge his loyalty to the group.
“I do not need to go nowhere else,” Allen informed reporters in January. “If it did come all the way down to that, adios amigos.”
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The 31-year-old was coming off one of the best season of his profession. Regardless of being restricted to 13 video games after a heel damage ended his season, Allen completed sixth within the NFL in receptions (108) and eleventh in receiving yards (1,243).
Due to a number of pricey contract restructures final offseason, the Chargers have been nearly $20 million over the wage cap forward of the beginning of the brand new league 12 months. Allen, huge receiver Mike Williams and linebackers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack had 4 of the 5 highest non-quarterback wage cap hits within the league for 2024. Allen’s $34.7 million cap hit made it seemingly that the Chargers would look to restructure his deal, commerce him or launch him.
League guidelines required the Chargers to be underneath the $255.4 million cap by 4 p.m. ET on March 13. They launched Williams that day, saving $20 million in 2024, which made them cap compliant. Mack and Bosa agreed to take pay cuts that saved the Chargers almost $24 million.
The Chargers have been hoping Allen, who had been vocal about his need to stick with the staff, would additionally comply with a revised deal. However the two sides could not agree on an adjusted contract, and the Chargers traded Allen to the Bears for a fourth-round decide (No. 110) on March 14. It was essentially the most stunning transfer of coach Jim Harbaugh and basic supervisor Joe Hortiz’s first month of their new roles and sheds mild on their team-building technique as they usher in a brand new period for the Chargers.
Allen has not publicly acknowledged his 11 years with the Chargers. He informed reporters in Chicago that there was “no emotion” in his resolution to not take a pay minimize to stay in L.A. However sources near Allen say the commerce — and the way the Chargers dealt with negotiations regardless of his allegiance to the franchise — surprised and damage him.
“I clearly needed to complete my profession there,” Allen mentioned, “however issues occur, and you have to carry on shifting.”
IN THE DAYS following the NFL mix, the Chargers requested Allen to take a pay minimize much like that of Mack and Bosa, although Allen’s included a two-year extension with a mean wage of lower than his base $18 million, in accordance with sources near the negotiation.
Two days later, Allen’s staff proposed a multiyear counteroffer that may have made Allen among the many league’s highest-paid receivers, however it was summarily rejected, in accordance with a number of sources near the negotiations.
There have been offers across the NFL that set a framework for what Allen may doubtlessly web, similar to 29-year-old Calvin Ridley, who signed a four-year, $92 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.
When the Chargers approached Bosa and Mack with pay cuts, saving a mixed $24 million, sources near Allen mentioned he believed he wouldn’t be requested to take a pay minimize coming off a career-best 12 months. The Chargers nonetheless requested for the pay minimize after getting effectively beneath the cap, which was a supply of confusion and frustration for Allen’s camp, in accordance with sources near the negotiations.
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However Hortiz has since defined that Allen’s cap hit would have saved the Chargers’ brass from constructing the roster they envisioned. He additionally needed the Chargers to have flexibility for in-season trades and signings.
“I do know prior to now there have not been a whole lot of additions in the course of the season with trades,” Hortiz mentioned, ” however that is one thing I consider in.”
Allen was due a $5 million roster bonus on March 17, which set a deadline for when the Chargers wanted to maneuver him. Hortiz engaged with groups, together with the Houston Texans — who provided a bundle that included a 2025 third-round decide and decide swap, in accordance with a staff supply — and the New York Jets.
Allen’s contract was a hurdle in negotiations, and plenty of groups did not have interaction in commerce talks with the Chargers due to Allen’s age and wage, in accordance with a number of league sources. Others, together with the Bears, requested if he’d be keen to take a pay minimize to facilitate the commerce, which he declined. His wage, mixed with the bonus deadline, restricted the Chargers’ leverage. Finally, the Chargers settled on the Bears’ provide for a 2024 fourth-round decide, and Chicago took on Allen’s wage.
The Chargers’ unwillingness to barter is what surprised Allen, sources near him mentioned. He holds a number of franchise information for huge receivers, together with profession receptions and yards. After spending a decade with the Spanos Household possession, he anticipated the staff could be keen to fulfill someplace within the center, sources near Allen mentioned.
However the staff felt the perimeters have been too far aside on numbers as March 17 loomed, and additional negotiating not made sense to the group, in accordance with a number of staff sources.
“It is the enterprise a part of it. And all people does what’s of their finest curiosity,” Harbaugh mentioned. “And Keenan, I imply, [you] make $23 million a 12 months and play in Chicago, you recognize, who’s obtained it higher?”
A DAY AFTER the commerce, Allen was on a non-public jet together with his household for the primary time in his life. He was headed to Chicago to start an unanticipated new chapter.
“I did not take into consideration an excessive amount of, man,” Allen mentioned of the flight. “Simply sort of sat again and took all of it in and truly perceive that that is all occurring.”
For the Bears, an offense criticized for its lack of expertise may now be among the many league’s finest. Allen joins receiver DJ Moore, operating again D’Andre Swift, and tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett. The Bears additionally maintain two first-round picks, together with the No. 1 choice, with which they’ll seemingly draft Caleb Williams.
Allen may also have a well-recognized face within the receiver room in coach Chris Beatty, who was the receivers coach for the Chargers from 2021 to 2023. On Monday, Bears basic supervisor Ryan Poles informed reporters he expects to comply with an extension with Allen.
“I assumed it was an absolute good match,” Poles mentioned. “I do not assume there’s a greater receiver within the league that may be higher for a younger quarterback by way of understanding the NFL, timing, house, studying defenses.”
A 12 months in the past, the Chargers’ offense had a few of the league’s finest talent place gamers. They’ve since parted methods with Allen and different common contributors in operating again Austin Ekeler, Williams and Everett, who performed the previous two seasons with the Chargers.
However Harbaugh and Hortiz have received this fashion prior to now. Their groups have been buoyed by dominant dashing offenses and feared defenses.
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Hortiz spent the previous 26 years with the Baltimore Ravens — starting as a soccer personnel assistant and taking up as director of participant personnel in 2019 — a company with a dreadful historical past with receivers however that received two Tremendous Bowls throughout Hortiz’s tenure.
The Ravens have by no means had a participant chosen to the Professional Bowl as a large receiver in staff historical past — three of the highest six gamers on the franchise listing for many receiving yards play a unique place.
They’ve drafted six huge receivers within the first spherical in franchise historical past, and solely Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, taken No. 25 total in 2019, has eclipsed 1,000 yards in a single season. They traded him to the Arizona Cardinals in the course of the 2022 draft.
Hortiz has dismissed the notion that the Chargers selected protection over a receiver with their wage cap strikes.
“It is coincidence simply the way it labored out,” Hortiz mentioned. “You do not marry your self to 2 gamers. It’s important to have a look at the worth of all of them and the market on the market and the alternatives.”
Nonetheless, a have a look at Harbaugh’s teaching historical past tells the same story about how his groups have received.
The San Francisco 49ers, whom he coached from 2011 to 2014, totaled 12,270 yards passing over his 4 seasons, rating thirtieth within the NFL. The dashing offense, in the meantime, ranked second in yards per recreation (139.6) over that span.
This development was comparable even final 12 months for Harbaugh on the College of Michigan. The Wolverines’ offense ranked 81st nationally in passing yards per recreation (213.7) and sixth within the Huge Ten, whereas the dashing offense was third of their convention (169.1) and forty third nationally. Working again Blake Corum led the NCAA in dashing touchdowns (27).
Harbaugh received a nationwide title at Michigan final season, the place his protection allowed the fewest factors in FBS on common (10.4). He additionally led the 49ers, which allowed the second-fewest factors per recreation (17.4) throughout his tenure, to 3 NFC Championships and a Tremendous Bowl look. In the course of the Ravens’ Tremendous Bowl appearances, Baltimore ranked first in opponents factors per recreation in 2000 and twelfth in 2012.
“We’ll aspire to be a staff that Vince Lombardi may very well be happy with,” mentioned Harbaugh at his introductory information convention, “blocking, tackling, toughness, enjoying good, enjoying quick, enjoying bodily.”
That staff Harbaugh and Hortiz envision started with an offensive overhaul, with new starters at receiver, operating again, tight finish and heart, not less than.
Allen was one of many staff’s most admired gamers, however his departure is not anticipated to affect staff morale or religion in Harbaugh, a number of staff sources mentioned, partly due to how a lot of the offense is not returning.
“I knew who I used to be buying and selling,” Hortiz mentioned. “That is not a choice you make with no regret — or regret is not the phrase — however no acknowledgement of that.
“We’ll win. That is what we need to do. So we wish guys that need to win and need to be right here.”
