The Chargers’ cap crunch has forced the team to move on from their longest-tenured player. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chargers are dealing wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Bears. FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer was first with the news.
Los Angeles will receive a fourth-round pick in return. Per Albert Breer of TheMMQB, the Chargers are receiving the earliest of the Bears’ two fourth-round picks (No. 110).
With the Chargers needing to clear $27MM to reach cap compliance, eyes immediately focused on their four massive cap hits: Allen, Mike Williams, Khalil Mack, and Joey Bosa. The front office put in extra work yesterday before the mandatory cap deadline, releasing Williams and reworking the contracts of both Mack and Bosa. Those three transactions didn’t mark the end of their efforts, however.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chargers approached Allen about taking a pay cut today. The receiver refused, and the organization promptly dealt the player to Chicago. The wideout is attached to a $34MM-plus cap hit in 2024, and on top of his $18MM-plus base salary, he’s due more than $5MM via a roster bonus this month. Allen is still attached to a four-year, $80.1MM extension he signed with the Chargers back in 2020.
Even while the Chargers’ cap sheet continued to be untenable following yesterday’s machinations, an Allen trade is still a shocking development. When asked last month about his future in Los Angeles, the receiver definitively stated he’d be back with the team in 2024. And as the organization navigated their impending cap crunch, reports indicated that the veteran wideout was the safest among the team’s four highest-paid players.
Instead, Allen’s tenure with the organization will end after 11 seasons. The receiver wasn’t able to catch former tight end Antonio Gates‘ many receiving records, but Allen will still leave the organization ranked second in receptions (904) and receiving yards (10,530) and third in touchdown receptions (59). The former third-round pick earned six Pro Bowl nods throughout his career with the Chargers, and he’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in five of his last seven seasons. This includes a 2023 campaign where the 31-year-old hauled in a career-high 108 catches for 1,243 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
After acquiring D.J. Moore last offseason, the Bears are making another splashy move at the position. The expectation is that the Bears will trade Justin Fields and select USC’s Caleb Williams with the first-overall pick, and they’re certainly preparing the incoming rookie for success. The Bears have also added running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett to the offense, providing their 2024 quarterback with plenty of worthy targets.
Regardless of who is under center next season, it shouldn’t take long for Allen to get acclimated. New Bears receivers coach Chris Beatty spent the previous three seasons with the Chargers, so the coaching staff surely knows what they have in the veteran acquisition.
Things aren’t nearly as rosy in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert has watched as his top two receivers (Allen, Williams), his top tight end (Everett), and his top running back (Austin Ekeler) have all left the organization this past week. The Chargers did use a first-round pick on Quentin Johnston last year, and the organization will surely be banking on a big season from the second-year pro. The Chargers are also armed with the fifth-overall pick in the draft. That might not be enough to draft someone like Marvin Harrison Jr., but the organization should still be able to snag one of the draft’s other elite WR prospects.
Would think the bears trade their 9th pick now
If you mean trade down I agree that’s likely. But I don’t see them trading the pick for a current player.
Or possibly take their choice of any defensive player in the draft.
I think if McCarthy falls to 9, CHI will dangle the pick to Minny/OAK/DEN and then at 11-13 they’ll get a stud EDGE opposite Sweat, maybe Verse? Latu? Small chance Turner is still there. That would be my guess.
While there’s no way of knowing at this point, Poles hasn’t been afraid to trade back. If he can get a package that includes a 2nd, there should still be serious WR, guard/tackle and D-line talent there. This is getting very interesting.
Trade down, take multiple OL picks.
I think the Bears can be sneaky good, I mean really good – if Caleb Williams is on the level and they can protect him.
Sneaky good means Caleb Williams is 5 notches above stroud. Da Bears are a whole offensive line away from sneaky good. A 3 down back from sneaky good. Have we talked defense.
This is wrong, Bears OLine was middle of the pack barring Lucas Patrick (The center who was just replaced) and I think a significant amount of those problems comes from Fields not getting rid of the ball quick enough. After the Sweat trade, the only problem with our defense (pass rush) was fixed significantly. Had the best run defense in the league, the Bears will be competing for the division this year.
The aryan Bates trade is going to be a good one.
I can’t believe we let him ho so cheap.
“If he is on the level” I guess you are free to define this however you want. You can move the goal posts as you see fit. Its your interpretation.
– why is a three down back a priority?
– I actually called out a plan for OLine.
– This isnt the 90s anymore, its a passing league.
– Feels like you just want to hate on the Bears and what they have done. Fine. I get it. I hate the Bears too. But try to be objective a little. It can work out.
I think between Swift and Johnson they’re pretty set in the RB room, Swift was very good the more he was utilized in Phili last year. I also don’t think the O-Line outside of Center was all that bad last year, who was just replaced with someone who wasn’t all that bad last year. I’m assuming they take an edge guy in the draft which boosts a defense that was already heavily on the rise last year after the Sweat trade. This guy just seems like a hater that’s coping, the Bears will probably win more than 10 games next year.
Da bears are begging anybody to take fields or he might be our starting guy. The line is middle of the pack by what definition. Swift ran out of gas around game 12 behind the best offensive line in the game. Huge buddy Ryan fan here and if da bears 5 games it will be a miracle.
Well, you’re an idiot so you have that.
Hàaaaaaa. Tongue tied
They won 7 games last year with a worse team, and lost 4 games that they had a lead of 10+ in the 4th. You might be the biggest idiot ever.
No one but Poles knows what the Fields situation actually is… Any offense that has a top 3 rushing game has at least a “middle of the pack” O-line… And a defense that led the league in rushing defense is most definitely on the rise… And Buddy Ryan is no longer with us..
Now we know.
Wow
Well that sucks
I would have rather traded Bosa.
Who is left for Herbert to throw to? Time for Quentin Johnston to step up.
is that a joke?
Has to be, traded the single best receiving option for what a lousy 4th round pick. Is this new management duo trying to place 4th in the AFC West? They sure as heck are on that road – picking 2 has been TEs, a discard RB and DT?
Only good move has been letting Murray sign elsewhere otherwise their roster moves are amateur.
No way were Chargers going to pay a $35 millions dollar cap hit for him lol. They got what they could and they didn’t have to cut him. Unfortunate because it would have been awesome to see him as a Charger for life.
@JO.2 must’ve had something to do with restructuring his contract, everyone else was on board. He probably wanted a extension since he’s a free agent. I guess this means they get Harrison jr or nabers.
Can only hope they get someone that can catch a football because Q ain’t that guy
Yeah definitely forced themselves into taking a wide receiver. I guess it’s the year to do it anyway with the big three.
Oh my
4th Round? Wow
This is the same GM that traded the #32 pick for Chase Claypool. Are you really surprised?
I think you’ve misunderstood the comment
Major overpay for a guy they were gonna cut anyways
Except why would he choose to play for the bears? Bears paid what they had to in order to get him in the building.
He would have played for anyone willing to pay him that salary lol.
They weren’t cutting him. They already cut Williams
If the Chargers didn’t cut/trade/reduce Allen’s salary they wouldn’t have had enough cap space to sign their draft picks, let alone filling out their roster with free agents. He was due a $5 mil roster bonus in two days. They saved $23 million on their cap by getting rid of him. The Chargers currently stand at $23 million in cap space. I’m sure they tried to extend him first to lower his cap but he wanted more than they were willing for an old receiver. There was zero chance they were keeping him on the $35 million cap hit. If they couldn’t trade him, he was getting cut.
@captain he wasn’t going to get cut, has to be something with him wanting a new deal. Cutting Williams restructuring bosa, and Mack gave them room. Why do the chargers need 40 million dollars in cap space when most of big free agents signed already. They have plenty of space next year, definitely something else going on.
Need cap flexibility to sign the rookies and acquire other players down the road as injuries occur.
@dombrowski with Keenan on the team they had 20 million. That’s enough for the draft and to sign a couple vets. If they did this before free agency and went after queen or Henry it wouldn’t be as bad. Now they have money when everyone is off the board, and they have to stay at 5 for a wide receiver.
He wouldn’t have been cut
??
Well….
I know, this is like the opposite of the Chase Claypool deal, I think this is the steal of the year! He had 108 catches last year, and he only cost a fourth round pick!
They could have gotten him less. Problem is Poles already trade his 5th, 6th, and 7th, this was his lowest pick left. I assume Chargers would only settle for a 2024 pick. Future picks have less value and Chargers need all the help they can get. No way is he worth paying $23 million on an expiring deal plus a 4th round pick. Most old, injured players past their prime making that much usually go for 6th round picks at the most due to the prohibitive salary.
in what world is is 1300 yard WR, not worth a 4th round pick, I would think he may be past his prime but still very soild wr2, probably a top 5 wr2
His injury history, age, and most importantly contract situation. 1 year left at $23 million. I get it though. Desperate times call for desperate measures. It might not matter that they overpayed anyways. They have plenty of cap room and they just need to get actual NFL players onto their offense so they can see what they have in either Fields or Caleb, whatever they decide.
There is nothing about this move that implies desperation. What a strange interpretation.
lol only in 13 games he had 108 catches. Anyone that says it’s an over pay are chargers fans that are extremely bitter lol
@ryanemery8 chargers fans aren’t bitter just ticked off because we wanted them to keep Allen over the other three Mack,bosa, williams. Now we lost wr1, wr2, Everett, and ekeler. Atleast they signed Gus edwards lol.
I can imagine that being a chargers fan would be pretty painful, it feels like nothing is ever right with them
At this rate, why not just trade Justin Herbert for Justin Fields, this year’s 1st overall pick and next year’s CHI 1st rounder? This is pretty much the opposite of what you want to be doing with a star QB in his prime. But Chargers gonna Charger.
Dumbest trade idea I’ve ever heard.
XD!!!!!
Chargers have the #5 pick in the draft and can draft an elite prospect in Nabers Bowers and pick up another receiver in the 2nd or sign some cheap veteran options
They’re expecting 2023 1st rounder Quentin Johnston to step up obviously but
Tyler Boyd
Michael Thomas
To a lesser extent
Van Jefferson
Chase Claypool
They just signed 2 washed out TEs so Bowers won’t happen. We’re left with the Q – a guy that couldn’t catch a football with Tatum stickem an inch thick.
I think that was the point; I think he was kidding.
Herbert is great. But idk if I trade the 1st overall pick for him. Rookie QB contracts win Chips and Williams is supposed to be generational right? Like luck not Murray. If he’s not that then ok yea nor close
Herbert is “good” but never proven he’s great.
And which QB from that draft class is better?
Burrow for sure. Hurts hasn’t shown he can choke like Herbert did in the 2022 playoffs. Tua is up there as well.
Want to share those drugs you’re on
You’re telling me you think Justin Herbert is worth Justin Fields, the first overall pick (Caleb Williams or MHJ) and another first round pick? Is this some sick joke or do you have brain damage?
the chargers would take that without thinking
Yep, and Poles would be out of a job even quicker. Herbert is not that damn good, not even sort of.
@catuli they couldn’t anyways they would have to pay over 100 million in bonuses to Herbert that wouldn’t be saving money plus they would have to sign fields next year. Dumb move, but that’s what the browns and broncos paid for Watson, and wilson
Neither of those quarterbacks were traded for a #1 overall pick. The proposal above is severely undervaluing that pick.
I hope it’s more obvious that the Bears are trading down #1 at least a few spots. They have to. Or at least they have to trade down one or the other. They still need another WR at 9 and a good one should be there. The Bears can still get a good QB in the top if they trade back. They don’t need a haul, Just a 2nd and 3rd would be fine. Would fill the holes.
With all the hype and frenzy going on locally in Chicago, I think it’s all or nothing. Williams or run it back w/ Fields.
Allen is a very welcomed addition, but you’re right, they currently only have 4 picks now.
I assume they’ll try to move off of 9 now that they have a stud WR2, maybe if McCarthy drops to 9, they can dangle that pick to Minny/LV/DEN and move to that 11-13 range and draft an EDGE(Verse?) then pick up WR3 later in the draft.
Just my guess, but I think dropping from 1-2 or 3 won’t happen unless he really gets enamored w/ Daniels or Maye. Too much JF vs Caleb drama.
No other NFL team wants Fields, not even as QB2. How can you keep a guy like that on your roster?
Conflicting reports on that. Poles never even shopped Fields. It’s all confusing, A LOT OF SMOKE.
3 OCs, 2 HCs, never had legit weapons in the WR/RB room until last year and it was DJ Moore(who had a great year w/Fields)
Maybe the new OC thinks he can unlock Fields or maybe Poles overplayed his hand and the reports are wrong and he DID try to trade him. Maybe not, maybe he isn’t sold on Williams and is considering accepting another haul for the 1 pick. I honestly have no idea.
That’s because they’re not trading him.
I’m starting to think you might be right. As recent as a week ago, I woulda bet the house Fields was gone. Now… I’m not so sure.
I guess it’s possible Fields stays, but I seriously doubt it. As far as Field’s trade market goes, Poles is too smart to do anything desperate and is just plain waiting it out. Just because he hasn’t been moved Fields doesn’t mean there hasn’t been interest. The whole “no one wants him” thing is ridiculous. No one outside of Pole’s office knows that. Also, regarding Poles and his plans, I’ve read a lot of complaints about how he hadn’t signed any WRs and boom, he’s traded for a better one than any of the FAs and has the guy’s former positional coach from the Chargers, as his new WR coach. Whatever we may think of Poles, this guy has a plan and he’s sticking to it.
That’s true. Not one of his moves leaked. No one saw/predicted the Allen trade. No rumors prior to Swift, Byard, Bates trade, etc… so that’s why I’m done trying to predict. I’ve been wrong every time. Poles is great at keeping his intentions close to the vest.
At this point nothing would surprise me.
@rondon there isn’t a market for Fields anymore. All the QB1 and QB2 spots are mostly filled, or will be filled thru the draft. Mac Jones got a 6th back. Reports had Poles asking for a 2nd. Maybe he held out too long? My guess is no team wants to be on the hook for that 5th year option. While Poles has been good so far, he still hasn’t had any winning seasons yet. There isn’t any magic to be had. They can’t go into the season with both Williams and Fields. That’s a locker room and PR disaster. Poles can only wait until after the draft to find a taker, and probably for a bottom barrel price.
Plus3, I think plenty of teams would like Justin Fields. What teams may not want to do is meet Chicago’s ask (if they’re asking) and then pay the extension on top. No one knows for sure if Chicago is really even actively shopping Fields.
I’ve said it before though, and I’ll say it again- drafting Caleb Williams would be a massive mistake for the Bears.
I agree the 5th year option is probably the biggest drawback, but if Mac Jones only fetches a 6th rounder, what do you think the market for Fields is? Especially now since most teams are set at QB1 and QB2.
I think Fields has shown more growth than Mac, but I get that’s arguable. Jones got dealt a rough hand in NE. I think Fields is unquestionably more mature and the better leader, though.
If they trade Fields, I think he goes for a 4th round selection.
If I’m Chicago though, I’d keep Fields and trade down in the draft from #1. You’d get a better return. Plus I’m not at all sold Williams is going to be a good pro QB.
One has to wonder if the Bears make all of these moves, only to then put a rookie QB behind center (Williams or anyone else), as these picks imply they are trying to win now, and as much as Fields needs work, Im not sure you do that with a 1st year QB either.
My guess is they have the option to trade back for the best deal now, as Im not sure they would draft a WR (like MHJ) if they have Moore and Allen on the field at the same time. Maybe, just maybe, the Bears actually do the smart thing and load up in the draft with the ‘un-glamorous’ O and D line picks so they can develop some quality players in those positions.
Dude. They’re taking the second best QB prospect since Andrew Luck, not sticking with Fields and trading down because they’re panicked at not having enough mid round picks.
Dude, I don’t drink the kool aid that people are with Williams. The guy has a ton of red flags, the latest basically telling the Bears he was not going to be their scheduled appt like he agreed to, and the rumors about how his camp is still trying to work something out with Washington. Never mind having some of the same concerns that Fields has currently (holds on to the ball too long and fumbles a lot) then there is the mental toughness questions which NFL defenses will exploit, also the concern of him trying to do too much and try to put the ball into a small window where NFL defenses will get turnovers if he tries that at this level.
Now, the Bears still are likely drafting him, but its a hell of a leap of faith, more than anything that Luck had when he was coming to the NFL. If the Bears take him, I hope he works out, but the odds overall, not just because of the red flags, are against that.
Even if he has the same problems on field as Fields, he’ll have his whole rookie contract. Fields comes with a fifth year option decision this off-season. Fields deserves a shot to start somewhere, but keeping the pick and using it on Williams is easily the correct choice here.
And I wasn’t responding to you, I was responding to UncleMike’s strange certainty that the Bears should move out of the top pick because they urgently need more picks later in the draft.
They’re not trading Fields. Wake up people.
Gotcha… But I do think more picks tend to get more results, as you will miss on some, but the more you have, the likelihood that you get some good results.
Thats another thing about a rookie deal, if Williams is selected, and they basically have Fields 2.0 and no improvement, are they really ‘saving’ anything (and not just spinning their wheels with a good defense, but still a bad offense)?
I think we can all agree, its a really monumental decision that Poles has in front of him, either way he becomes a pariah if he gets it wrong. I just think that if they pass on him, and he succeeds on another team one can argue ‘yeah but it was not the same system/personnel/coaching as the Bears had’. However, if he is taken by the Bears and fails, then its ‘you made a horrible pick that set your team back years’… no one will remember ‘yeah, but everyone said he would be generational.’ Even worse if Fields happens to go somewhere else and is above average or better.
I get all that. But Williams is a very high level prospect and Fields hasn’t shown enough consistently for me to feel good about that option decision. They can always trade down from nine to get more picks. Plus, they’ve made a double digit number of picks each of the last couple of years, so it’s a little easier to throw fewer darts this year (but I agree with you that generally speaking, more picks is a better strategy).
No, MJH, Nabers, and Odunze will all be gone by 9. This trade was made because they do not expect any of those three to be there at 9. They are drafting Caleb at 1 and probably trading down from 9.
The Bears have gone out and got Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, Gerald Everett, and 3 offensive lineman in an effort to surround Caleb Williams with the best supporting cast, (not to mention the trade r**e of my Panthers last year for DJ). The Panthers went out and got DJ Chark, Adam Thielen, and Hayden Hurst for Bryce. This is why we are a poverty franchise.
And no O-line I might add
Bro what lmao this is insane hahaha
Hello Malik Nabers
Didn’t see this one coming
Wow, great for Caleb Williams.
Fields is going nowhere. Just watch & see.
OK. Still pretty confident the Bears are drafting a QB and pretty confident it’s Williams.
Funny they give their new QBs weapons. Fields had bargain bin weapons.
True but that was pre-Poles so don’t blame him.
Uhh these are his weapons. They’re not trading him for no 4th-5th round pick. Not a chance in hell.
They won’t start him over the #1 pick which would be a QB. His weapons from the bench?
AncientOne • 11 hours ago
Fields had bargain bin weapons.
======================
I kind of thought that Moore was okay. And the Falcons just gave Mooney $39M, so he might have been good. And Kmet had 73 receptions.
Are you sure that Fields didn’t have good weapons?
They just gave him Moore this last year. He didn’t come into the situation where they gave him weapons at the start like this. He had David Montgomery at RB is all I can remember. Kmet is solid.
Mooney is a #3, ATL spending wildly.
Giving Mooney that kind of money after his last 2 seasons is ridiculously stupid. Then you have to remember where he went and who works there now. He had one good season and 4 bad ones. Obviously Pace’s imprint is all over this. You can say what you want about Getsy, But Mooney couldn’t create any separation at all.
The cap hit definitely cornered the market. Chargers are going to be an interesting story line from here through the draft
Heartbreaking for Chargers fans
Well that hurts
Also I wonder if Tom Telesco will help the Raiders as Raiders GM half as much as he did as Chargers GM.
Why are the comments closed on Arik Armstead signing with the Jags??
Bye Fields WOOOOOOO
They’re not trading Fields. They’ll trade the #1 pick and get more picks in return. And they’ll draft a WR with the #9 pick.
Keenan Allen was the best playmaker on the team. I guess this trade means they couldn’t trade Bosa for a bag of balls. As a Chargers fan I’m very disappointed to see him go. He will make whoever is QB in Chi look good – as he has done for years with LA.
The “Cap World” makes the NFL (and the NHL for that matter) fascinating to watch in the offseasons- as some teams sign players for huge contracts – then something like this happens on the back end. Look at the player merry go round this year in the NFL. Wild. I think it’s tough for long term fans but to no avail as they will be fans no matter what. It’s a nod to fantasy sports.
To address one of the comments above – yes it does suck to be a Charger’s fan.
Exciting times for Bears fans watching a roster improve!
I like the trade, great use of their cap room on offense. Allen runs such good routes and pairs really well with Moore. Gives their young QB’s weapons with no waiting period and draft flexibility to grab a young deep threat later in the draft. A dream would be to trading into the 2nd round and drafting Worthy to complement these two.
I do think it means the Bears are highly likely to use their second first rounder on an EDGE, whether at #9 or after a trade down. I’m hoping for Latu.
And, they’ll still finish last in the division.
The Chargers are on their way to wasting the prime years of a quality QB,
Exactly should of traded him with Allen. Get first overall. Bears fill their qb need can compete in the division. Chargers get a reset with a young qb who went to usc. Let the chiefs age a bit over nextb3-4 years while you retool
How can you not love Keenan Allen? He was the only fantasy player I could rely on every week…lol. I don’t know if he can perform at the same high standard with the Bears but the leadership and professionalism he will bring to the locker room is something the team probably has lacked since Urlacher was playing.
Questionable every week but crushes it whenever he’s on the field…
I would of probably offered Allen and Herbert and seen if I could get all the bears picks 1/9/2nd/3rd. Herbert may struggle with no Allen.
“Missed your call, Chargers, sorry. We only have enough staff to prepare for the draft right now.”
-Patriots
Are you serious? You don’t actually believe that do you? You’re trolling right?
If Washington wants their home town kid Williams, there is no reason why they can’t other the picks necessary to move up one. I think you could do that with the #2, #36 and #40 and the Bears should take that and not think they are getting a future #1 etc. out of the deal. Washington pumps up the fan base, the Bears can still take Maye or Daniels and let them sit behind Fields for a year. Fields salary in 2024 is $6M and you can not pick up the 5th year. That way Fields is motivated to cash in for 2025.
Nobody in DC wants a rerun of the RGIII trade.
Jim must not see him as a number 1 receiver; don’t know that I agree or disagree but that’s a brutal way to treat your longest tenured player