Keenan Allen Open To Bears Extension
The Bears acquired veteran wideout Keenan Allen with the understanding that it could be a one-season pairing. While the two sides have yet to discuss an extension, Allen made it clear that he’d be interested in re-signing with Chicago…although the Bears would have to pay him accordingly.
[RECENT: WR Keenan Allen Addresses Chargers Departure]
“I’m going to play as long as I can,” Allen told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times. “As far as an extension, I’m going to let the play speak for itself, and if they offer me something that I like, we’ll go from there.”
Allen is entering the final season of a four-year, $80.1MM extension he signed with the Chargers back in 2020. The wideout is attached to a $34MM-plus cap hit in 2024 and an $18MM-plus base salary, which contributed to his trade from the Chargers. Before Los Angeles dealt their star receiver, the front office attempted to negotiate an extension with the player. Allen was presented with “multiple contract options,” although it sounds like each of those routes would have come with a 2024 pay cut.
The Bears were willing to absorb Allen’s financial commitment for the 2024 campaign, as the organization was focused on surrounding first-overall pick Caleb Williams with as much talent as possible. Allen was certainly a worthy target. In addition to his lengthy resume, the wideout notably rebounded from a disappointing 2022 campaign, finishing the 2023 season with 108 catches for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns.
If the Bears hope to retain Allen beyond the 2024 campaign, they’ll have to compete with a rapidly increasing WR market. Allen noted as much, saying that Justin Jefferson‘s four-year, $140MM extension with the Vikings once again “reset” the market. With the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb also set to receive lucrative new deals, it’s in Allen’s best interest to remain patient.
It sounds like the Bears also aren’t feeling much urgency to complete an extension. As Finley notes, the Bears have “yet to engage Allen on a new deal.” As the writer notes, the team also somewhat prepared for a potential Allen exit when they selected Rome Odunze with the ninth-overall selection.
While neither side is in any particular rush to complete a deal, it sounds like they’re both interested in a long-term arrangement. After spending his entire professional career in California, Allen said it hasn’t been difficult getting used to Chicago.
“It wouldn’t be hard to adjust to a city like this,” Allen said.
Front Office Updates: White, Pats, Steelers
Former Bears assistant director of pro scouting Chris White has reportedly been removed from the team’s website, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. White had been promoted to the role two years ago after five years as a pro scout for the team.
While nothing official has been announced yet, rumors have it that White is heading to Washington, where he’ll serve as the Commanders‘ new director of pro scouting. White would essentially be filling the role vacated by former director of pro personnel Chris Polian, who is an advisor now in Cleveland.
Here are a couple of other rumors in NFL front offices from around the league:
- Stratton also tells us that the Patriots are adding a new member to their pro scouting staff in Bob Kronenberg. Kronenberg has had an interesting career path following the end of his playing career in the Arena Football League. Kronenberg spent five games as head coach of the former AFL’s Georgia Force in 2004. Eight years later, he joined the Falcons’ front office as a pro scout. After six years working in the team’s scouting department, Kronenberg accepted a role as Atlanta’s assistant offensive line coach, a role he’s held since 2019. Kronenberg will now find his way back to the front office in New England.
- Lastly, the Steelers are reportedly bringing on Jim Noel as a new area scout, according to Stratton. Noel has plenty of NFL experience, starting as a scouting intern for the Chiefs in 2015 and working his way up to pro scout after two years. He then spent three years as the northeast area scout for the Browns before heading to the collegiate ranks to work recruiting staff roles at Army and Nebraska.
Bears Staffer Ryan Griffin Playing QB In Italy, Expected To Join Team In June
Ryan Griffin‘s lengthy career as an NFL reserve quarterback ended after the 2022 season. The Buccaneers, who had rostered Griffin as a third-stringer behind Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert, did not re-sign the experienced practice arm last year.
This led Griffin to the coaching ranks. He joined the Bears’ staff as an offensive assistant, but the NFC North team agreed to an unusual arrangement that is allowing the longtime QB to continue throwing passes. Griffin is finishing up a season in the Italian Football League. He will join the Bears later in the offseason.
Griffin signed with Skorpions Varese of the IFL late last year and has been playing with the team since its season began in March. Matt Eberflus said the expectation is Griffin is at the Bears’ mandatory minicamp, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain (subscription required). That said, Griffin’s IFL team holds the league’s top seed in the playoffs, going 8-0 in the regular season. The IFL playoffs begin with opening-round games June 8, so it should be expected the QB/rookie staffer will return overseas to finish out his season.
While this is a rather unusual schedule for a coach attempting to break into the league, the Bears did accommodate one of their players — Marquise Goodwin — in the not-so-distant past as he moonlighted in another sport. Goodwin attempted to qualify for Team USA’s long jump roster back in 2021. However, the London Olympian did not make the Tokyo team and was on the field by the start of training camp.
Griffin, 34, became the rare third-string quarterback to enjoy a lengthy tenure with a team. The Bucs claimed Griffin off waivers in 2015 and then kept him around on five additional contracts from 2017-22. The Tulane alum only saw action in 2019, throwing four passes. But he managed to play 10 NFL seasons, finishing his career in Brady’s final season. The Bears, who employed the NFL’s other Ryan Griffin (a tight end) in Ryan Poles‘ first offseason as GM, have the rookie assistant set to work with QBs and wide receivers in his debut season.
Elsewhere on Chicago’s staff, Poles is making more adjustments to his scouting department. The Bears are promoting Ryan Weese from Combine scout to Midwest area scout and hiring Nick Papagno as their new Combine scout, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton tweets. Papagno previously worked with the Raiders. Previous Bears Midwest scout Ryan Cavanaugh will shift to the southeast on Poles’ staff.
The Biggest Wide Receiver Contract In Each Team’s History
Most NFL teams have authorized a big-ticket (by today’s standards) deal for a wide receiver. Ranked by guaranteed money and excluding rookie contracts and accords acquired via trade, here is the most lucrative WR deal in each franchise’s history.
Arizona Cardinals
- DeAndre Hopkins; September 8, 2020: Two years, $54.5MM ($42.75MM guaranteed)
Larry Fitzgerald‘s seven-year, $113MM extension (August 2011) holds the Cardinals standard for total value, but Hopkins’ pact checks in higher in terms of guarantees and AAV.
Atlanta Falcons
- Julio Jones; September 7, 2019. Three years, $66MM ($64MM guaranteed at signing)
Baltimore Ravens
- Odell Beckham Jr.; April 9, 2023: One year, $15MM ($15MM guaranteed at signing)
In total, Michael Crabtree‘s 2018 deal (worth $21MM) and Derrick Mason‘s 2005 agreement ($20MM) surpass Beckham’s. But the 2023 Baltimore rental’s guarantee came in higher.
Buffalo Bills
- Stefon Diggs; April 6, 2022: Four years, $96MM ($70MM guaranteed; $47.99MM guaranteed at signing)
Carolina Panthers
- D.J. Moore; March 18, 2022: Three years, $61.88MM ($41.61MM guaranteed at signing)
Chicago Bears
- D.J. Moore; July 30, 2024: Four years, $110MM ($82.64MM guaranteed; $43.65MM guaranteed at signing)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Ja’Marr Chase: March 16, 2025: Four years, $161MM ($109.8MM guaranteed; $73.9MM guaranteed at signing)
Cleveland Browns
- Jarvis Landry; April 12, 2018: Five years, $75.5MM ($47MM guaranteed; $34MM guaranteed at signing)
The Browns have featured three higher-paid receivers on their roster since Landry’s contract, but both Odell Beckham Jr. and Amari Cooper arrived via trade and played on contracts designed by other teams. Jerry Jeudy‘s AAV ($17.5MM) on his 2024 extension also outpaces Landry’s, though the recent trade pickup’s total guarantee falls short here.
Dallas Cowboys
- CeeDee Lamb; August 26, 2024: Four years, $136MM ($100MM guaranteed; $67MM guaranteed at signing)
Denver Broncos
- Demaryius Thomas; July 15, 2015: Five years, $70MM ($43.5MM guaranteed; $35MM guaranteed at signing)
Courtland Sutton‘s 2025 extension carries a higher AAV ($23MM) but included $41MM guaranteed
Detroit Lions
- Amon-Ra St. Brown; April 24, 2024: Four years, $120.1MM ($77MM guaranteed; $35.28MM guaranteed at signing)
Green Bay Packers
- Davante Adams; December 29, 2017: Four years, $58MM ($30MM guaranteed; $24MM guaranteed at signing)
Houston Texans
- Nico Collins; May 28, 2024: Three years, $72.75MM ($52MM guaranteed)
DeAndre Hopkins‘ 2017 re-up included more in total value but a lower AAV and guarantee
Indianapolis Colts
- Michael Pittman Jr.; March 11, 2024: Three years, $70MM ($46MM guaranteed; $41MM guaranteed at signing)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Christian Kirk; March 14, 2022: Four years, $72MM ($37MM guaranteed at signing)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Tyreek Hill; September 6, 2019: Three years, $54MM ($35MM guaranteed; $22.54MM guaranteed at signing)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Davante Adams; March 17, 2022: Five years, $140MM ($65.71MM guaranteed; $22.75MM guaranteed at signing)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Keenan Allen; September 5, 2020: Four years, $80.1MM ($50MM guaranteed; $32MM guaranteed at signing)
Los Angeles Rams
- Cooper Kupp; June 8, 2022: Three years, $80.1MM ($75MM guaranteed; $35MM guaranteed at signing)
Miami Dolphins
- Jaylen Waddle; May 30, 2024: Three years, $84.75MM ($76MM guaranteed; $35.98MM guaranteed at signing)
Tyreek Hill‘s 2022 extension tops his teammate for AAV ($30MM) but came in just south for guarantees ($72.2MM)
Minnesota Vikings
- Justin Jefferson; June 3, 2024: Four years, $140MM ($110MM guaranteed; $89MM guaranteed at signing)
New England Patriots
- Stefon Diggs; March 25, 2025; Three years, $63MM ($22.6MM guaranteed; $16.6MM guaranteed at signing)
New Orleans Saints
- Michael Thomas; July 31, 2019: Five years, $96.25MM ($60.6MM guaranteed; $35.65MM guaranteed at signing)
New York Giants
- Odell Beckham Jr.; August 27, 2018: Five years, $90MM ($65MM guaranteed, $40.9MM guaranteed at signing)
New York Jets
- Garrett Wilson; July 14, 2025: Four years, $130MM ($90MM guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- A.J. Brown; April 25, 2024: Three years, $96MM ($84MM guaranteed; $51MM guaranteed at signing)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- D.K. Metcalf; March 9, 2025: Four years, $132MM ($80MM guaranteed; $60MM guaranteed at signing)
San Francisco 49ers
- Brandon Aiyuk; August 29, 2024: Four years, $120MM ($76MM guaranteed; $38.32MM guaranteed at signing)
Seattle Seahawks
- D.K. Metcalf; July 28, 2022: Three years, $72MM ($58.22MM guaranteed; $31MM guaranteed at signing)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Mike Evans; March 9, 2018: Five years, $82.5MM ($55MM guaranteed; $38.26MM guaranteed at signing)
Chris Godwin‘s 2025 deal beats Evans’ for at-signing guarantees ($44MM); his 2022 deal did as well. Godwin’s 2025 deal also tops Evans’ in AAV ($22MM). The all-time Bucs receiving leader’s 2024 agreement, however, leads the way in total guarantees.
Tennessee Titans
- Calvin Ridley; March 13, 2024: Four years, $92MM ($50MM guaranteed; $46.98MM guaranteed at signing)
Washington Commanders
- Terry McLaurin; June 28, 2022: Three years, $69.6MM ($53.15MM guaranteed; $34.65MM guaranteed at signing)
NFC North Rumors: Amegadjie, Oladapo, Turner
After watching left tackle Braxton Jones miss six games last season, the Bears utilized a third-round pick to add some quality depth to the roster in Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie. That quality depth will have to wait, though, as Amegadjie is still reportedly making his way back from a season-ending injury he suffered in college, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.
Amegadjie suffered a partially torn quad in his final season at Yale that limited him to only four games last year after he underwent surgery. The team claims that doctors had medically cleared Amegadjie, but he has yet to practice in Chicago and will likely be sidelined for the at least the remainder of the spring. Head coach Matt Eberflus said that the plan is for the rookie to be ready by training camp.
Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC North:
- Another rookie getting a delayed start to his NFL career is Packers safety Kitan Oladapo, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. The fifth-round pick out of Oregon State broke the big toe on his left foot during a drill at the NFL scouting combine. He waited to undergo surgery until after his pro day, where he still performed in position drills, and made teams aware of the situation during the pre-draft process. Currently sporting a protective boot and riding a scooter to lessen stress on the toe, Oladapo is not expected to participate in any offseason workouts. He aims to be ready by training camp.
- New Vikings pass rusher Dallas Turner suffered from an unprecedented run of offensive draft picks to open the 2024 NFL Draft. After the minor slide to the middle of the first round, Turner finally came off the board at No. 17 overall as the third defensive player taken. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated hints that the unforeseen streak of offensive players may not have been the only reason that Turner slipped later than expected. Breer says that Turner, UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu, and Washington offensive tackle Troy Fautanu all fell due to red flags from medical concerns coming into the draft. Without those issues, Breer speculates the three would’ve gone closer to their projected values.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/16/24
Here are today’s rookie deals agreed upon between teams and players chosen in the middle and late rounds:
Chicago Bears
- DE Austin Booker (fifth round, Kansas State)
Los Angeles Chargers
- DL Justin Eboigbe (fifth round, Alabama)
Los Angeles Rams
- S Kamren Kinchens (third round, Miami)
- WR Brennan Jackson (fifth round, Washington State)
The Rams now have a two-Kamren safety group, with Kinchens following free agency addition Kamren Curl. The Kinchens and Jackson slot agreements leave only first-round pick Jared Verse unsigned among Rams draftees. The Rams got the ball rolling for picks near the top of the second round — the slowest-moving sector of the draft due to guarantee wiggle room — by inking Florida State defensive lineman Braden Fiske late last week.
NFC Front Office Notes: Eagles, Rosenberg, Falcons, Giants, Panthers, Bears
Jake Rosenberg‘s Eagles exit is now official. After a report earlier this offseason indicated Rosenberg would step down following a 12-year tenure with the team, the Eagles’ VP of football administration made the announcement (via PHLY.com’s Zach Berman). A friend of GM Howie Roseman‘s dating back to elementary school, Rosenberg assisted the Eagles on the salary cap front. The team has frequently been ahead of the curve in this area, as its 2024 offseason reinforced. It is not known where Rosenberg is headed, but this marks another key departure in the Eagles’ front office. Two years ago, four of Roseman’s lieutenants — Brandon Brown, Ian Cunningham, Catherine Raiche, Andy Weidl — left for assistant GM roles elsewhere. Another key piece will need to be replaced now.
Post-draft front office changes are common around the league. Here is the latest from the NFC:
- Despite not being a Terry Fontenot hire, Tokunbo Abanikanda will rise to a key post in the Falcons‘ front office. The team is promoting the veteran scout to its college scouting director post, InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton tweets. Abanikanda has been with the Falcons since midway through Thomas Dimitroff‘s GM tenure, arriving in 2012. He will now take a pivotal role in the team’s draft preparation. Elsewhere in the Falcons’ front office, the team’s player personnel coordinator — Brian Zeches — is moving on, Stratton adds. Formerly an exec in Washington and Kansas City, Zeches was named to this post during the 2023 offseason.
- In addition to adding Chris Snee to their scouting staff, the Giants are making multiple in-house promotions. They are bumping Nick La Testa to assistant director of pro scouting and naming Charles Tisch their football operations manager, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. Charles Tisch, who had been a football ops assistant, is the nephew of Giants co-owner Steve Tisch. With the Giants since 2017, La Testa had previously worked on the scouting level for the team.
- A Carolina-to-Washington pipeline formed during Ron Rivera‘s NFC East stay, but the Commanders will now lose an exec to the Panthers. Carolina is hiring David Whittington for a college scouting role, according to Stratton. Whittington had been with Washington since 2009, holding several positions. Most recently, he worked as a national scout with the Commanders. The Panthers are also adding Eric Eager to their analytics department, per Stratton. Eager, a former Pro Football Focus staffer, worked most recently as the vice president of SumerSports, an analytics-based website that also employs Dimitroff presently.
- The Bears are going through with a round of promotions as well. GM Ryan Poles is elevating Breck Ackley from assistant college scouting director to the director post, while Stratton notes national scout Francis St. Paul will become the assistant director. Area scouts Brendan Rehor and John Syty are also moving to national scouting roles.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/14/24
Teams continue to sign their draft picks to rookie contracts. We’ve collected today’s miscellaneous signings below:
Chicago Bears
- OT Kiran Amegadjie (third round, Yale)
Cincinnati Bengals
- WR Jermaine Burton (third round, Alabama)
- TE Erick All (fourth round, Iowa)
Denver Broncos
- EDGE Jonah Elliss (third round, Utah)
Indianapolis Colts
- WR Anthony Gould (fifth round, Oregon State)
Minnesota Vikings
- OT Walter Rouse (sixth round, Oklahoma)
New York Giants
- CB Dru Phillips (third round, Kentucky)
Seattle Seahawks
- CB Tyrice Knight (fourth round, UTEP)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Ross Dwelley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Cam Gill, DL T.J. Smith
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR John Jackson, DT Dashaun Mallory, LB Paul Moala, WR Freddie Swain
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Kaden Davis, TE Parker Hesse
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DL Spencer Waege
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Trente Jones
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LB Cole Christiansen
- Released: DT Matt Dickerson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: DL Chris Collins
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Ireland Brown, CB Jason Maitre
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Sammis Reyes
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Terrell Jennings, G Ryan Johnson, LB Jay Person, DE Jotham Russell
- Waived: RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Kendal Vickers
- Waived: NT John Penisini
New York Giants
- Signed: DL Elijah Chatman
- Waived: OLB Jeremiah Martin
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Hamze El-Zayat, RB Markese Stepp
- Waived: RB Jacques Patrick, DE Marquiss Spencer
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Shon Stephens
- Waived: TE Noah Togiai
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: OL Kellen Diesch
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Shakel Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DE Nathan Pickering, LB Devin Richardson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Nick Vannett
NFL Workouts: Giants, Bears, Titans, Grant
With NFL rookie minicamps coming to a close, we can take a look at some of the notable names that were invited for veteran tryouts during the rookies’ introduction to the NFL. The Giants were one of the teams with multiple veteran free agents in attendance, as noted by Pat Leonard of NY Daily News.
Two outside linebackers were auditioned this week in New York. Myjai Sanders worked out with the team after playing sparingly in seven games for the Texans last year. A former third-round pick for the Cardinals, Sanders had three sacks as a rookie but, after falling down the depth chart, found himself being auctioned off as a trade candidate before ultimately getting waived.
The other was Shaka Toney, a former seventh-round pick for the Commanders who was waived just before the draft. He’s only played major snaps in one game over his two years, his lone start out of 26 games played, but totes 1.5 sacks on his record.
The third veteran in attendance was wide receiver Jared Bernhardt.
Here are a few other notable minicamp auditions that took place around the league:
- The Bears also hosted three veterans, even eventually signing tight end Tommy Sweeney. Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports that cornerback Parry Nickerson and wide receiver Freddie Swain were the other two veterans in attendance this week. Nickerson entered the league as a sixth-round draft pick in 2018 for the Jets. Since then, he’s bounced around with one season each at in Jacksonville, Green Bay, Minnesota, and, most recently, Miami. Swain had a decent start to his career after two seasons in Seattle but didn’t play in 2023 after appearing in only four games in 2022 between time in Miami and Denver.
- The Titans were another team to host multiple notable veteran names, namely cornerback William Jackson III and pass rusher Shane Ray, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 and Turron Davenport of ESPN. After playing out a rookie contract in Cincinnati, Jackson earned a three-year, $40.5MM contract with the Commanders but requested a trade that landed him with the Steelers a year in a half into the deal, though he never got to play for them. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Week 5 of 2022. Ray’s absence from the NFL has been even longer. A first-round pick for the Broncos in 2015, Ray hasn’t played in the league since 2018. He joined the Bills last offseason, reuniting with his former Denver teammate Von Miller, but he was cut before the regular season.
- After attending the Eagles’ rookie minicamp, wide receiver and return specialist Jakeem Grant also worked out for the Saints at their rookie minicamp, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Grant hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2021 season as he’s rehabilitated a torn Achilles and a ruptured patella tendon, but the last time he played, he earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.
- Lastly, the Dolphins hosted pass rusher Aaron Lynch for a tryout, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Lynch showed promise after tallying 12.5 sacks in his first two seasons with the 49ers but never managed more than three in a season over the next five years. He hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2020.