What did the Chargers to do to keep receiver Keenan Allen? Allen’s agent has provided the player’s position.
“To be clear, only one offer was made,” agent Joby Branion said on X. “It was a pay cut for 2024 with a 2-year extension (and both years had even deeper cuts to his current pay). We made a counter offer. It was rejected. Then we were informed of the [Chargers’] intention to trade” Allen.
The Chargers didn’t want to (or couldn’t) pay Allen $23.1 million for 2024. They found a team that was willing both to take on the financial obligation, and to give the Chargers a fourth-round pick.
But for a trade partner, the Chargers quite possibly would have cut Allen. Given that the Bears were willing both to pick up his contract and to give up a fourth-round pick, Allen might have done even better on the open market.
Allen is headed for the open market in 2025, absent a new deal with the Bears.