NFL players searching for a big payday shouldn’t eliminate any potential suitors. That could only drive down the asking price.
However, veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen appears content without another big contract. He recently revealed that he can only see himself playing for three teams in 2025 — and all three of those teams play in cities where he has previously played.
Keenan Allen Wants To Play in Chicago or Los Angeles
Allen is set to be an unrestricted free agent in March after suiting up for the Chicago Bears after 11 seasons playing for the Chargers (four in San Diego and seven in Los Angeles).
While there are plenty of WR-needy teams that could use a veteran contributor like Allen this offseason, it doesn’t sound like the 32-year-old will consider many teams. He told Marquee Sports Network’s Scott Bair that he wants to play in either Chicago or Los Angeles next season.
“I spoke to Keenan Allen near last season’s end, and he’s open to the prospect of a return to the Bears,” Bair wrote. “That was obviously before Ben Johnson got hired, and I’d expect his addition only strengthened Allen’s resolve.
“He said he’d like to play in Los Angeles or Chicago, narrowing focus to three teams.”
Allen began his NFL career as a third-round pick for the Chargers in the 2013 NFL Draft. At the time, the Chargers still played in San Diego, but apparently Allen didn’t mind the move to Los Angeles.
According to Bair, Allen is open to returning to the city even if it means playing for the Los Angeles Rams. After the Rams trade Cooper Kupp this offseason, could they sign Allen as his replacement?
In 15 games with the Bears during 2024, Allen had 70 catches for 744 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Allen only averaged 10.6 yards per catch, but he was always more of a possession receiver. He hasn’t posted more than a 13.7 yards-per-reception average since his rookie season.
Last fall, Allen eclipsed the 11,000-yard mark for his career. He will enter the 2025 season just 26 receptions shy of 1,000.
How Much Will It Cost the Bears To Bring Back Allen?
Allen is set to turn 33 in April. Although he’s still productive, the 2024 campaign was the first time Allen failed to reach 800 yards when playing 15+ games.
Allen, though, didn’t receive as many targets as he has been accustomed to in his career because of fellow receivers D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze. But that doesn’t mean Allen won’t have value to the Bears in 2025. Any veteran pass catcher could be helpful to Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams’ development.
Williams finished his rookie campaign ranked 33rd in PFSN’s QB+ metric. He earned a D grade of 63.2. Allen may not be as explosive as he once was, but he was arguably the best route runner on the Bears’ roster in 2024, which could be crucial to Williams’ development.
According to @ScottBairNFL, Keenan Allen would like to return to the Bears or play in Los Angeles 🧐pic.twitter.com/WL2FTomaii
— PFSN (@PFN365) February 14, 2025
“Running it back with Allen, D.J. Moore, and Rome Odunze sounds like a solid option,” Bair wrote. “The Bears can spend on Allen with their current cap space. If the goal’s to make Williams comfortable, keeping Allen seems prudent.”
Allen is currently the No. 27-ranked free agent in PFSN’s Top 100 Free Agent Rankings. Here’s what PFSN’s Ben Rolfe wrote about Allen’s upcoming free agency: “After six Pro Bowl seasons in 11 years with the Chargers, Keenan Allen’s first year with the Bears was considerably rockier.
“The veteran struggled to find chemistry with Caleb Williams, averaging the lowest catch percentage (57.9%) and fewest yards per route (1.4) of his career. Allen was also only targeted on 22% of his routes, the fewest since his rookie season in 2013. A surprising level of red-zone production goosed his touchdown total (seven), but that belies his actual impact in the Bears’ offense.
“Allen played most of the Bears’ 12 personnel snaps alongside DJ Moore, which meant his playing time came at the expense of first-round rookie Rome Odunze. It’s hard to imagine Allen remaining ahead of Odunze on the depth chart if he returns, and he could choose the cleaner route by moving on entirely.”
In PFSN’s Free Agent Rankings By Position, Allen is the third-best wide receiver available in free agency this offseason behind only Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin. It appears Higgins will receive the franchise tag, and there are rumors that Godwin will re-sign with Tampa Bay.
After Higgins, Godwin, and Allen, the next-best wide receivers available in this free-agent class are Amari Cooper (Buffalo Bills), Darius Slayton (New York Giants), Hollywood Brown (Kansas City Chiefs), Stefon Diggs (Houston Texans), Josh Palmer (Los Angeles Chargers), DeAndre Hopkins (Kansas City Chiefs), Mike Williams (Pittsburgh Steelers), Mack Hollins (Buffalo Bills), and Elijah Moore (Cleveland Browns).
Spotrac estimates Allen’s market value this offseason to be about $22.2 million on a two-year contract. Keeping Allen until he’s just shy of 35 isn’t as appealing as a one-year deal, but if Allen truly only wants to play in Chicago or Los Angeles, his options are limited.
Perhaps he’d be willing to accept less money to play in either Chicago or Los Angeles.