Keenan Allen's NFL Free Agency Outlook: Best Fits If He Leaves the Bears

With the 2024-25 NFL season in the books, teams are already setting their sights toward the next campaign as the NFL Combine and free agency quickly approach. The official start of the new league year begins on March 12th, which is the first day teams can sign free agents.

Keenan Allen is one key unrestricted free agent to keep an eye on this offseason. While Allen will turn 33 years old in April and is coming off a somewhat underwhelming year with the Chicago Bears, he figures draw his share of attention once the top free agent wideouts are off the board.

According to PFF, Allen ranks as just the 8th-best wide receiver set to hit the open market and 43rd-best free agent across all positions. That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but it also means that the veteran wideout should come relatively cheap compared to the coin that Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin, and perhaps others will command this offseason.

Will the new Chicago regime led by head coach Ben Johnson let Allen walk? And if so, where could he end up instead? Let's look at Allen's potential destinations.

Will the Bears Re-Sign Keenan Allen?

In January, Allen stated in an interview that he would sign with only the Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, or Los Angeles Rams this offseason, which could complicate things for other interested parties. While we shouldn't completely rule out another landing spot, Allen might need extra convincing to join a squad outside of these three.

Of course, this all hinges on whether Chicago or the L.A. teams are interested in enlisting Allen's services to begin with.

This past season, Allen finished with 70 receptions for 744 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns across 15 games. It was a respectable stat line but a far cry from the consistent 100-catch, 1,000-yard seasons we saw during his peak with the Chargers.

Among receivers with at least 100 targets in 2024, PFF ranked Allen 37th in both receiving grade (68.2) and yards per route run (1.36). In his last season with the Chargers, he ranked 10th and 9th in those categories, respectively.

The question is how much of that decline had to do with Allen and how much had to do with a dysfunctional Bears campaign that resulted in head coach Matt Eberflus being fired midseason.

The Bears do enter this offseason with the sixth-most cap space, per Spotrac, so re-signing Allen is certainly an option, particularly if he's willing to stay on a team-friendly deal.

Allen was one of Caleb Williams' favorite options last year, as he logged a 27.3% target share over his 15 games, which included 5 games with double-digit targets. Keeping Keenan around for another year or two as a steadying presence for Williams could be a wise move in the young QB's development.

However, a past-his-prime Allen clearly isn't in Chicago's long-term plans -- and they already have D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze at WR -- so the team could ultimately decide to spend their resources elsewhere, with the offensive line being a notable area to consider upgrading.

Best Free Agency Landing Spots for Keenan Allen

Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams

If not Chicago, Allen specifically mentioned a return to Los Angeles as his ideal scenario, which is where his family still lives, so it makes sense to address the Chargers and Rams first.

Considering the Chargers traded Allen to the Bears just a season ago, a reunion might look odd on the surface, but the trade was strictly for salary cap reasons, and the Bolts are in a far better spot this time around (fifth-most cap space).

The Chargers could use some help at wide receiver, as well, as the team lacks depth behind standout rookie Ladd McConkey. Justin Herbert's familiarity with Allen can't hurt after spending four years together before the trade, as well.

The one snag in this scenario is that McConkey primarily plays out of the slot, which overlaps with Allen's skill set. McConkey lined up as a slot receiver 70.4% of the time last season while Allen has played over half his snaps out of the slot in every season dating back to 2018.

On the other hand, the Rams might be an ideal fit due to their clear intentions to trade away Cooper Kupp. Not only does that mean that they'll be looking to replace Kupp, but Kupp logged a 56.2% slot snap rate in 2024, which could make Allen an appealing replacement.

Ultimately, both L.A. teams ought to be shopping for wideouts this offseason, so it wouldn't be too surprising to see Allen end up on one of these preferred teams. Whether or not he's willing to take any "hometown discount" to return to Los Angeles could determine whether it becomes a reality, though.

Kansas City Chiefs

If Allen's top destinations don't work out for one reason or another, it seems most likely that a contender could entice him. When specifically asked on a podcast about joining the New York Giants, he quickly shot that down, suggesting he might be a longshot to consider rebuilding teams outside of Chicago.

The Kansas City Chiefs could be a contender that fits the bill. Not only do the Chiefs have five different wide receivers hitting the market, leaving Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy as the only noteworthy WRs left on the roster, but star tight end Travis Kelce is considering retirement.

Kansas City badly needs reinforcements on offense, and Allen could be intrigued by the opportunity to wrap up his career with someone like Patrick Mahomes throwing to him.

Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are another contender that will need to refill the the cupboard at wideout this offseason. Similar to the Chiefs, the Commanders also have five WRs who could leave in free agency, and it's not like they had a consistent WR2 alongside Terry McLaurin last season anyway.

The Commanders boast the NFL's third-most cap space, so they'll presumably be aiming higher for Higgins or Godwin, but if they strike out, Allen could work as a consolation prize.

With rising star Jayden Daniels already putting Washington ahead of schedule in his rookie campaign, this is another spot where Allen could be swayed if his dream landing spots are off the table.

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