CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears made the biggest splash in free agency Thursday night, agreeing to send a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for wide receiver Keenan Allen, sources told ESPN. admitted.
Allen, 31, is in the final year of a four-year contract extension he signed in 2020 and will be paid a $5 million roster bonus on Sunday. After refusing a pay cut from the Chargers, he earned a new spot in the Bears' offense opposite wideout DJ Moore.
Allen, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, will be reunited with wide receivers coach Chris Beatty, who coached the same position with the Chargers from 2021 to 2023. Allen caught a career-high 108 passes last season for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns, the second-best receiving performance of his 11-year career. It was the sixth time in Allen's career that he had over 1,000 receiving yards.
Chicago sent one of two fourth-round picks to the Chargers on Thursday, leaving four picks remaining in the draft (No. 1, No. 9, No. 75 and No. 122 via Philadelphia). The Bears will reportedly send their fourth-round pick (No. 110) to the Chargers in exchange for Allen.
At last month's NFL combine, Bears coach Matt Eberflus noted that adding more pieces to Chicago's wide receiver room is a priority. Former Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney signed a three-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, leaving Moore, Velus Jones Jr., Tyler Scott and Nsimba Webster as the only receivers on the Bears roster. Webster has spent most of his career on Chicago's practice squad.
“First of all, we don't have that much depth,” Eberflus said in February. “That's the first part. We have the potential to add some dynamic pieces there through free agency and the draft, so when you're trying to protect that, you have the weapons at tight end, you have the weapons at X-receiver. That's what it is for me when I'm DJ. Adding one or two copies of him on the opposing side really balances things out. It is difficult to protect reliably. ”
The addition of Allen gives Chicago another bonafide star at wide receiver. He is finishing his fifth season with 100 receptions, the third-most in NFL history behind Antonio Brown and Brandon Marshall. Allen also holds the record for most games with 15 receptions (three) and ranks fourth all-time for most games with 10 receptions. He had 10 receptions in four games last season, second most in the NFL.
Allen joins fellow former Chargers tight end Gerald Everett (agreed to a two-year deal) and running back D'Andre Swift (signed for three years and $24 million) as three additions to the Bears' offense this week. Become the number one skill player. He signed with the Bears on Thursday.