NFC West contender named suitor for key Chicago Bears weapon

By now, most of the big name free agents have signed. But not Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen, who has had a relatively quiet offseason. Still, there are plenty of teams around the NFL that covet Allen’s services.

It isn’t known if the Bears are one of the them. There hasn’t been much buzz about a reunion. However, nothing is official until Allen puts his name on the dotted line. And new head coach Ben Johnson is going to want playmakers all over his offense.

But even if the Bears make a run, they won’t be the only team trying to sign Allen. While teams like the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders have been predicted as suitors, the Los Angeles Rams have now been speculated as a potential landing spot, by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.

“Even if Allen isn’t the perennial Pro Bowler he once was, he’s a smart, experienced receiver with terrific route skills and dependable hands,” Knox wrote. “He also doesn’t carry the significant injury concerns of Stefon Diggs, who is coming off of a torn ACL.”

“Allen would be a solid fit with the Los Angeles Rams, who replaced Kupp with Davante Adams but also lost Demarcus Robinson in free agency,” Knox continued. “Allen’s ability to find space in the secondary would mesh extremely well with Sean McVay’s offense, and he’d be a terrific red-zone target for Matthew Stafford.”

Keenan Allen’s one-year run with Chicago Bears

The Bears acquired Allen in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round pick. As Caleb Williams was getting acclimated to the NFL, Allen was expected to be a premier weapon. He was in some ways, but it’s hard to call Allen’s tenure a true success.

The receiver led Chicago with seven receiving touchdowns. So in that regard, Allen was a key weapon for Williams whenever it was time to score. However, he ended his campaign with 70 receptions for 744 yards. Those are the lowest totals Allen has put up in any season with 11+ games played in his NFL career.

Still, Allen’s one year in Chicago won’t completely diminish how the NFL views him. He has still been to the Pro Bowl six times and has 974 receptions, 11,274 yards and 66 touchdowns to his name. As teams look for premier receiving talent, there may be none better available than Allen.

The fact he has been available so long may give the Bears a chance to sneak back into the sweepstakes. But there hasn’t been much smoke to cause that fire.

Los Angeles Rams completely re-imagine wide receiver room

While the Bears are going through an offensive shake up, so are the Rams. They moved on from long-time receiver Cooper Kupp, who ultimately signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Instead, Los Angeles decided to sign Davante Adams to a two-year, $44 million contract.

Adams had a whirlwind 2024 season, starting with the Las Vegas Raiders and ending with the New York Jets. All in all, he caught 67 passes for 854 yards and seven touchdowns. Adams has been named to the Pro Bowl six times and has been named an All-Pro thrice. He has 957 receptions for 11,844 yards and 103 touchdowns over his 11-year NFL career. Now playing with Matthew Stafford, on a Rams team with a bit more structure than the Jets, a bounce back for Adams is entirely in view

Of course, Los Angeles’ passing attack will run through rising star Puka Nacua. His emergence played a major role in the Rams being comfortable letting Kupp leave. Over his two years in the NFL, Nacua has caught 184 passes for 2,476 yards and nine touchdowns. Coming off of a bit of a down year in 2024, Nacua will only be featured in the passing offense further moving forward.

Adding Allen to the mix would give the Rams one of the scariest trios in the NFL. Los Angeles is trying to get everything they can out of Stafford before his NFL career ends. Giving him a top flight receiving room could be the trick to helping the quarterback and overall team succeed.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/nfc-west-contender-chicago-bears-weapon?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nfc-west-contender-chicago-bears-weapon