The Los Angeles Chargers traded star vast receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears in change for a fourth-round draft decide, the staff introduced Thursday.
The deal ends an period for the Chargers. Allen’s tenure with the staff predated its transfer to Los Angeles, as he was initially drafted by the San Diego Chargers within the third spherical of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Allen went on to change into the Chargers’ all-time chief in receiving yards amongst vast receivers (Antonio Gates stays forward of him on the general listing), starring for the staff because it transitioned from Philip Rivers to Justin Herbert at quarterback and from Mike McCoy to Anthony Lynn to Brandon Staley at head coach.
That tenure is not going to prolong into the Jim Harbaugh period. Harbaugh’s arrival from Michigan this offseason coincided with a big salary-cap crunch for the staff, which has now value it its prime two vast receivers. Needing greater than $20 million in cap area, the Chargers launched standout Mike Williams on Wednesday.
The Chargers managed to get underneath the wage cap in time for the brand new league yr, however Allen offered one other problem resulting from a $5 million roster bonus due Sunday. Go rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack agreed to take pay cuts to stay with the staff, however when the Chargers approached Allen about taking a pay minimize Thursday, he declined, per NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport.
That can depart Harbaugh and Herbert with a large receiver corps led by 2023 first-rounder Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer. Barring one other main transfer or an infinite step ahead, Herbert will enter the 2024 season with the worst set of weapons of his profession.
Bears add an enormous WR for … whichever QB they will have in 2024
It stays unclear who shall be beginning underneath heart for the Bears subsequent season, however whomever it’s, he’ll have a decent arsenal round him.
The Bears had already landed a brand new beginning operating again with former Philadelphia Eagles starter D’Andre Swift and shall be returning Professional Bowl vast receiver DJ Moore, who had a career-high 1,364 receiving yards final yr.
Moore and Allen would type a pairing of perennial 1,000-yard receivers, which the previous appears to have ideas on:
As for who’s throwing the passes, Justin Fields stays on the roster. The commerce market seems to not be materializing, however that is not precisely argument for holding him as starter subsequent season.
The Bears have the No. 1 decide within the draft this season and will very effectively apply it to a quarterback, probably the most notable choice being USC’s Caleb Williams. Chicago might very effectively be constructing a pleasant offense for an incoming rookie quarterback, or it could possibly be making an attempt to present Fields all of the assist he can get in a make-or-break season.