WR Keenan Allen Addresses Chargers Departure
The past week has seen new Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz take major steps aimed at cleaning up the team’s salary cap situation. That effort included restructures for edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, along with the release of wideout Mike Williams. Franchise mainstay Keenan Allen was – to the surprise of many, including the six-time Pro Bowler himself – dealt to the Bears in another cost-shedding move. 
[RELATED: Texans, Jets Were Interested In Allen Trade]
Los Angeles acquired a fourth-round pick from Chicago after approaching Allen about a pay cut. The 31-year-old declined, citing the strength of his statline from 2023. After expressing confidence he would remain in place for at least the 2024 season, Allen doubled down on the fact he was not expecting to be dealt during his introductory press conference on Saturday.
[I] obviously wanted to finish my career [with the Chargers], but things happen and you’ve got to keep on going,” Allen said. When asked about being asked to take a pay cut, he added, “there really was no emotion, it was, I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it. Came off my best season, so it’s not happening” (h/t NFL.com).
Indeed, Allen’s 95.6 yards per game from the 2023 campaign represent the highest figure of his decorated career. He was limited to 13 contests, but still managed to set a new personal mark in receptions (108) and yards (1,243). While a cap hit of over $34MM would have been challenging to absorb had the Chargers elected to keep him, their decision to cut Williams and re-work the Mack and Bosa pacts would have made it doable. Now, the WR spot faces a number of questions entering 2024 for Los Angeles.
For the Bears, Allen’s arrival will give the team a high-profile tandem alongside vertical threat D.J. Moore. Chicago has also added running back D’Andre Swift as well as tight end Gerald Everett to a new-look skill position room. The new arrivals (along with OC Shane Waldron, hired as Luke Getsy‘s replacement) will be tasked with helping a rookie quarterback improve on the offense’s poor showing from 2023. Maintaining his strong play on third down in particular would go a long way to achieving that goal in Allen’s case.
One year remains on the Cal alum’s contract, so he will have plenty of motivation to thrive in the Windy City in his debut season with the Bears. After seeing his 11-year Chargers tenure come to an end, it will be interesting to see how long he winds up playing in Chicago.
Texans, Jets Considered Keenan Allen Trades
Before Keenan Allen landed with the Bears, the veteran wideout attracted interest from a couple of other suitors. During his press conference today in Chicago, Allen said the Texans and Jets were the only other teams to express interest in a trade (via Adam Jahns of The Athletic).
[RELATED: Chargers Trade Keenan Allen To Bears]
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Texans finished second in the sweepstakes. The team offered the Chargers a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for Allen and a later pick. Instead, the Chargers opted for Chicago’s deal, accepting a fourth-round pick for the receiver.
As the Texans look to surround C.J. Stroud with as many weapons as possible, the organization has been mentioned a suitor for many wide receivers. Wilson writes that the rumors connecting the organization to some of the biggest names on the WR market are “inaccurate,” with the reporter pointing specifically to Deebo Samuel.
At the moment, Houston is set to return their same WR depth chart as 2023, with Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods, and recent re-signee Noah Brown leading the way. Considering the youth on offense, it isn’t a surprise the Texans would be eyeing a reliable veteran like Allen. On the flip side, considering the team’s depth, the front office doesn’t have to act with any urgency.
Meanwhile, the Jets’ interest in Allen was mostly exploratory. As Dianna Russini of The Athletic passes along, the Jets did not make an offer for the former Chargers wide receiver.
The Jets have Garrett Wilson firmly atop the depth chart, but the team would be a natural fit for another talented pass-catcher. The team got disappointing results from ex-Packers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb in 2023, but the duo’s struggles could be partly attributed to poor QB play. UDFAs Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee took on expanded roles as the 2023 campaign went along, but with Aaron Rodgers back in 2024, the team may not want to be as reliant on the young wideouts.
Chargers To Bring Back QB Easton Stick
Easton Stick will soon begin work for another Chargers head coach. Brought in during Anthony Lynn‘s stay and retained throughout Brandon Staley‘s run, Stick will have a chance to remain as a Justin Herbert backup under Jim Harbaugh.
The Chargers reached an agreement to keep the North Dakota State alum Friday, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. With an injury forcing Herbert to miss games for the first time, Stick received his first run of regular-season action last season. He will rejoin Herbert and 2023 seventh-rounder Max Duggan as Bolts QBs on the offseason roster.
It is interesting the Chargers will have each of their 2023 QBs back, with a new coaching staff and front office leadership being in place. Stick has been with the team since 2019, beginning his career as a third-stringer during Philip Rivers‘ final Chargers campaign. Stick then resided as Los Angeles’ QB3 behind Herbert and Tyrod Taylor, before Chase Daniel came in as QB2 in 2021. Daniel was not brought back for 2023, moving Stick — North Dakota State’s QB between Carson Wentz and Trey Lance — up on the depth chart. A Herbert development made that promotion relevant.
Herbert’s finger surgery brought in Stick to start the Bolts’ final four games. The team went 0-4 in that span, with the talent gap between the team’s first- and second-stringers rather wide. Stick threw three TD passes to one INT but was on the other end of a 63-21 blowout, the final game of the Staley-Tom Telesco era. All three of Stick’s TD passes came in that Raiders romp, though the Chargers were within one score of their final three opponents.
It would not surprise to see Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz use a later-round pick to bring in competition for the backup job, and Duggan — who was at the controls when TCU downed Harbaugh’s Michigan squad in the 2022 CFP semifinal round — could factor in as well.
TE Hayden Hurst Signs With Chargers
MARCH 15: The Chargers have officially sealed the deal here, signing Hurst to a contract that brings him to Los Angeles, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Hurst becomes the latest change to the offense, joining Dissly and Gus Edwards as additions in LA while the team says “so long” to veteran wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
MARCH 14: The Chargers have already made one notable tight end addition in the form of Will Dissly. Los Angeles is set to host Hayden Hurst as well, though, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the latter intends to sign with the team. 
Hurst was released by the Panthers last week after one season with the team. His debut campaign in Charlotte was cut short due to a concussion which resulted in a diagnosis of post-traumatic amnesia, and Carolina elected to move on despite two years remaining on his deal. As Fowler notes, though, Hurst has moved quickly in taking a visit with the Chargers. If that goes well (particularly with respect to a medical evaluation), the former first-rounder will have a new home.
Hurst was drafted by the Ravens in 2018, a time when Joe Hortiz played a central role in Baltimore’s scouting efforts. After a lengthy tenure with Baltimore’s front office, Hortiz is now the Chargers’ general manager. Hurst, 30, thus represents a familiar addition for Los Angeles’ new executive regime. Having played under John Harbaugh in Baltimore, he will now work with Jim Harbaugh; the new Bolts head coach’s connection to his brother is no doubt a factor in this impending arrangement.
After his minor league baseball career ended, Hurst entered the NFL with considerable expectations given his draft status. Fellow 2018 draftee Mark Andrews claimed the Ravens’ starting TE role, though, leading Hurst to request a trade and find himself in Atlanta. The Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts after his first season with the team, limiting his usage during the 2021 campaign. That was followed by one-year stints with Cincinnati and Carolina, during which time Hurst started 21 of a possible 22 contests.
The South Carolina alum will now compete for playing time with Dissly, who agreed to a three-year, $14MM deal on Monday. He and Hurst will take over from Gerald Everett in the starting lineup after his free agent departure. Hurst will re-join offensive coordinator Greg Roman if a Chargers deal goes through; the two worked together in Baltimore. Roman has an affinity for the run game and two-tight end sets, a setup which could benefit both Dissly and Hurst. The latter will aim to remain healthy in 2024 while again trying to carve out a starter’s role.
Chargers Trade Keenan Allen To Bears
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.
Chargers To Sign DL Poona Ford
Following a one-year stop with the Bills, defensive tackle Poona Ford will be joining Jim Harbaugh’s first Chargers squad. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Ford is signing a one-year deal with the Chargers.
The defensive lineman joined the Bills on a one-year deal last offseason. There was optimism that the sixth-year player could provide some consistency on Buffalo’s defensive line. Ford previously started 63 games for the Seahawks between 2019 and 2022, and that experience was a big reason why the Bills brought him on.
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Ford. He was inactive for more than half of Buffalo’s games, and he was limited to only a part-time role in his eight appearances. He was firmly behind Ed Oliver, Tim Settle, and Jordan Phillips on the depth chart, and Linval Joseph eventually got an extended look ahead of the free agent acquisition. Ford ultimately finished the campaign with nine tackles and one sack.
In Los Angeles, Ford will look to rehabilitate his value following a down season. The five-foot-eleven, 311-pound lineman will provide the Chargers with some defensive line depth, although he could earn himself a larger role. The team’s DL depth currently consists of the likes of Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia, Scott Matlock, and Christopher Hinton.
Joey Bosa Restructures Chargers Contract
The Chargers entered Wednesday needing to free up cap space ahead of the new league year. They did so by releasing Mike Williams, but edge rusher Khalil Mack remained in place via a restructure. Fellow defensive end Joey Bosa will take the latter route as well. 
Bosa has agreed to a re-worked Chargers pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. As a result, his 2024 cap figure will be lowered and he will remain in place for at least one more season. The former third overall pick was one of four players set to count more than $32MM against the cap in 2024, with a projected charge of $36.6MM. Converting the maximum amount allowable of Bosa’s $15MM base salary into a signing bonus would create $10.4MM in savings.
Given the team’s financial situation leading into free agency, it was widely expected the Chargers would cut or trade at least one member of the quartet set to occupy a major portion of their cap space (the three aforementioned players and wideout Keenan Allen). Mack and Bosa were reported as the ones Los Angeles was most likely to move on from, and the team spoke with potential suitors to gauge their markets. Any deal would not have come at market value, of course, given the contract an acquiring team would have taken on. New general manager Joe Hortiz has thus elected to run back the Mack-Bosa tandem in 2024.
The latter was due a $7MM roster bonus tomorrow, leading to urgency on Hortiz’s part to work out Bosa’s future despite the cap relief brought about by moving on from Williams and restructuring Mack. As The Athletic’s Daniel Popper reports, at least one team showed interest in trading for the four-time Pro Bowler before today’s move was worked out (subscription required). Rather than moving on with two years left on his contract, Los Angeles will keep him in place for a ninth season with the franchise.
Bosa has been limited to just 14 games over the past two seasons, so questions will be asked about his ability to remain healthy moving forward. The Ohio State alum has posted nine sacks in that span, after reaching double-digits four times in a season earlier in his career. At age 28, however, he should be able to continue playing at a high level with better luck on the injury front. The Chargers’ defense would benefit substantially if that were to be the case.
Los Angeles entered Thursday in worse cap shape than any other team in the NFL, per Over the Cap. That situation will change given today’s move with Bosa, but it will be interesting to see if another cost-clearing move is made with an Allen restructure. In any event, much more clarity has arrived for the team’s veteran nucleus compared to where things stood at the start of free agency.
Chargers Release WR Mike Williams
Needing to clear $27MM-plus off their cap to reach compliance by the 3pm CT today, the Chargers will part with one of their starting wide receivers. They are releasing Mike Williams, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Dangling Williams and their other three monster cap charges — Keenan Allen, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa — in trades, the Chargers will clear $20MM by cutting Williams. The 2017 top-10 pick stands to become an interesting free agent, even coming off an ACL tear. The Bolts have since announced the move.
[RELATED: Latest On Chargers’ Trade Efforts]
Williams, 29, was set to carry a $32MM cap hit. The Bolts came into Wednesday with four of the NFL’s top 12 cap figures, with the above-referenced quartet all tied to numbers north of $32MM. It remains to be seen if one of the other high-profile Bolts will be jettisoned — via trade or release — but Williams is the first to go. While Rapoport adds that the Chargers would want to re-sign Williams, the high-end WR2 plans to test free agency.
One season remained on Williams’ three-year, $60MM deal. The then-Tom Teleseco-run Chargers gave Williams that contract just before free agency in 2022, and while the deal was finalized just before the Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill extensions changed the market, Williams battled injuries over the course of the pact. While Williams is coming off an ACL tear and going into his age-30 season, he has two 1,000-yard campaigns on his resume. The Clemson product has excelled as a deep threat and in the midrange, working as a key option during Justin Herbert‘s early years.
Williams cleared 1,000 yards in Philip Rivers‘ final Chargers season (2019, leading the NFL with 20.4 yards per catch) and then posted a career-high 1,146 yards to help Herbert become the 2021 Pro Bowl starter. Williams injuries wounded the Chargers over the past two years. Sustaining a back fracture during a meaningless Week 18 game in Denver, Williams could not suit up for the upcoming wild-card game in Jacksonville. The depleted Chargers’ offense struggled, and the Jaguars completed a 27-point comeback. The 6-foot-4 target also battled a high ankle sprain in 2022. Williams’ ACL tear three games into last season hurt the Bolts’ passing attack again, and ownership ousted the Telesco-Brandon Staley operation months later.
A number of teams still need receiver help. While this draft class will present yet another array of options, teams will be looking into the veteran now that he is a free agent. The WR-deficient Chiefs are quite familiar with Williams, and after missing on Darnell Mooney, would the defending champs dive in here? Williams will not command a $20MM-AAV deal coming off his knee injury, but seeing as teams to not make a habit of cutting two-time 1,000-yard receivers in their 20s, a few clubs figure to be interested in seeing what it will take to add the seven-year vet.
Chargers Re-Sign S Alohi Gilman
Alohi Gilman is sticking in Los Angeles. The Chargers announced that they’ve re-signed the free agent safety. It’s a multi-year pact for Gilman.
The 2020 sixth-round pick played out his rookie contract with the Chargers, appearing in 57 games. He gradually saw more defensive responsbility through his four seasons in the NFL, culminating in a 2023 campaign where he started all 14 of his appearances while playing in a career-high 928 defensive snaps. He missed three games thanks to a heel injury.
He finished the 2023 season with 73 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions. Pro Football Focus was especially fond of his performance last season, ranking him seventh among 95 qualifying safeties. This included the fifth-highest score at his position for his coverage ability.
While the Chargers will employ a new coaching staff in 2024, the team will have some continuity in their secondary. Gilman and Derwin James Jr. will once again top the depth chart at the two safety positions, and the latest signee it counting on an organizational turnaround in 2024.
“I’m an underdog story and you can say we’ve been underdogs for awhile and I want to change that,” Gilman told the team website. “I think I’m a good piece to add to that. Coach Harbaugh is all on board with that, his energy is contagious. I’m just super blessed.”
Chargers, Khalil Mack Agree To Restructure
At least one member of the four Chargers players thought to be potential cap casualties is on the way out. Mike Williams has been released, but edge rusher Khalil Mack will remain in Los Angeles in 2024. The latter has agreed to restructure his contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The former Defensive Player of the Year is due $23.5MM in 2024, but his cap hit was slated to sit at $38.5MM. The Bolts needed to make a few major cost-shedding moves to achieve cap compliance today, and the Williams release freed up $20MM in funds. Reworking the Mack contract will provide further breathing room.
This marks the third straight year the Chargers have restructured Mack’s contract. The 2023 adjustment created the whopping 2024 cap number, and with Mack’s Bears-constructed contract in its final year, it will be interesting to see what the Chargers do here. After Mack resurfaced with a career-best 17 sacks last season, Jim Harbaugh will keep him in the fold.
With Tom Telesco at the helm, the Chargers traded second- and sixth-round picks for Mack in March 2022. After a quiet debut, the former Raiders and Bears All-Pro posted his first double-digit sack season since 2018. The 33-year-old pass rusher has also proven durable for a Chargers team generally anything but, playing 17 games in each of his two Los Angeles seasons.
The Chargers discussed Williams, Mack, Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa in trades recently, and they pushed the Williams matter to the deadline. The team has moved under the salary cap via these two moves, but this became one of the more notable cap crunches in recent NFL history due to the team entering the compliance deadline day more than $25MM over the cap. With a new czar in charge, Mack, Bosa and Allen may not be full-on locks to stay with the Chargers — as trades could come about.
For now, however, the Bolts have checked off two of these four contracts. Allen and Bosa, however, are tied to cap hits north of $34MM. Like Mack, Allen is going into the final year of a contract. Bosa has two years remaining.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.