Keenan Allen for a 4th round pick felt like a bargain for the Chicago Bears when it happened. The six-time Pro Bowler is still one of the best wide receivers in the league. His technical wizardry means he should remain productive for at least the next couple of seasons. The problem is the 32-year-old only has one year left on his contract. That means if the Bears don’t give him an extension, he could be one-and-done in Chicago. It is probably one of the reasons why they drafted Rome Odunze 9th overall in April. They knew his leaving was a possibility.
Allen didn’t seem for or against the idea when asked. He planned to let things play out. It seems things have changed since then. D.J. Moore quickly signed a four-year extension with the Bears despite still having two left on his current deal. One of the biggest reasons he chose to do it now? The arrival of quarterback Caleb Williams. Moore hasn’t been shy about admitting he sees elite qualities in the #1 overall pick. Based on new information from Dan Graziano of ESPN, so does Allen.
“Moore used part of his news conference the day after signing his new contract to stump for an extension for Allen. Allen recently changed agents, and with one year and $18.1 million left on his contract, he has approached the team about an extension. But so far, they haven’t made progress on that front. The Moore contract, done with two years left on his prior deal, shows that the Bears consider the 27-year-old a key building block for their future along with Odunze. They’ll likely wait and see on the 32-year-old Allen before committing beyond this year.”
There is no way that happens unless he has a good feeling about the quarterback. Remember, this guy has played with excellence at the position his entire career. It started with Philip Rivers, a probable Hall of Famer. Then it moved to Justin Herbert, a Pro Bowler and one of the most talented in the NFL. Allen knows what good ones are supposed to look like. It seems he already likes what Williams has shown. If he didn’t, there is almost no way he would’ve approached the Bears about an extension already. None.
It doesn’t hurt that he and Moore seem to have a budding friendship as well. There is no question the Bears should be interested in making this work. Keenan Allen may be on the older side, but history shows good receivers can remain productive well into their 30s. Keeping that trio together is almost certain to make life easier for Williams. The challenging part is the money. Chicago doesn’t want to commit future capital to Allen unless they’re sure he can be productive for them. It also isn’t clear what kind of money he’s asking for.
All of those factors are likely stalling talks.
