Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles hasn’t revealed if there will be a new contract for wide receiver Keenan Allen soon. However, Poles made it clear that if there is one, it won’t happen right away.
Poles was on the Friday, May 3 edition of the Waddle and Silvy Show on ESPN Chicago, and the hosts asked him about a new deal for Allen, who is entering the final year of his contract in 2024.
“We’re just going to keep it moving through the season and see how everything plays out,” Poles said. “There isn’t a sense of urgency there right now, but we’ll see how everything unfolds as we get into the season.”
Poles also mentioned that the two sides have talked, but he didn’t share the specifics of those discussions. He added that the team has a “good relationship” with Allen’s agent. Poles also recognized that the Bears want Allen to play in Chicago before signing him to a new deal that would keep him in the team during his mid-30s, but he did not give further details.
Keenan Allen Brings Up Issues for Bears Due to Age, Injury History
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen.
The main concerns for the Bears regarding a new deal for Allen are his age and recent injury history.
Allen turned 32 years old recently and will play his 12th NFL season in 2024. He spent the previous 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers franchise, formerly of San Diego.
A standout player for most of his career, Allen became a perennial Pro Bowler in the second half. He was named to the Pro Bowl six times in the last seven years, including in 2023 when he caught 108 passes for 1,243 yards and 7 touchdowns in just 13 games.
While Allen’s performance over almost 3/4 of a season is impressive and makes a case for a lucrative new deal, the fact that he missed four games due to injury tells a different story. The only time Allen didn’t make the Pro Bowl in the last seven seasons was in 2022, when he missed seven of 17 regular-season games due to injury.
Extending Keenan Allen Before the Season Would Give Bears Flexibility to Add Talent
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen.
The fact that he missed 11 of the last 34 games is a good reason for Chicago to hesitate on extending Allen’s contract, and proving his fitness to the team is a reasonable requirement before offering a new deal.
Despite that, the team traded a fourth-round pick for Allen this offseason and could save a lot of money by restructuring the final year of his $80.1 million deal, which would be a potential benefit of adding more years to his contract now. Currently, Allen has a $23.1 million salary cap hit in 2024, while the Bears have about $22.8 million in available space as of Friday.
Chicago had a great draft, getting No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, as well as adding a teammate for Allen and DJ Moore in receiver Rome Odunze with the 9th pick in the first round. The team also picked left tackle Kiran Amegadjie in the third round and edge rusher Austin Booker out of Kansas in the fifth round — focusing on two key positions of need.
Even with those additions, the Bears might still need more help on the offensive line with Amegadjie and potential starters. Braxton Jones (left tackle) and Darnell Wright (right tackle), especially given the team’s new investment in Williams. Another established pass rusher to play opposite Pro Bowler Montez Sweat also is likely to be a top priority for Chicago this summer.
If Allen's cap hit is reduced through an extension, the Bears would have the flexibility to seek improvements at one or both positions in free agency if the right player(s) is available.
