Keenan Allen Says Jets, Texans Spoke with Chargers Before Bears Trade in Free Agency

Before the Chicago Bears made the move to acquire Keenan Allen, there were at least two other teams in talks with the Los Angeles Chargers about the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Speaking to reporters at his introductory press conference on Saturday, Allen said the Houston Texans and New York Jets explored trade opportunities with the Chargers.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini noted the Jets had a conversation with Los Angeles without ever making a serious offer, but the Texans were "close" to landing him before the Bears stepped up their proposal.

Allen also indicated he could sign a new deal with the Bears. Chicago sent its fourth-round pick (No. 110 overall) to the Chargers for the 31-year-old.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted the Bears will pay Allen's $5 million roster bonus that's due after 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and eventually work out a long-term extension that makes sense for both parties.

The Chargers' decision to move Allen came as a bit of a surprise. He's been Justin Herbert's favorite target with 376 receptions, 4,088 yards and 25 touchdowns in 52 games together over the past four seasons.

Even though Allen is an older player by the standards of most NFL receivers, he was still playing at a high level. He caught a career-high 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

New head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz did have to make some big roster decisions this offseason. The Chargers were $45.8 million over the cap going into February with four of the top five non-quarterback cap hits in the league.

Mike Williams was released on Wednesday. Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa restructured their deals to stay with the Chargers. Trading Allen saves them $23 million against the cap, though it does come with an $11.6 million dead-cap charge.

The Jets could have made an offer nearly identical to the one Chicago made that was accepted. They own two fourth-round picks in the 2024 draft, including No. 111 overall. But their cap situation is more limited than the Bears, and they have more pressing needs than wide receiver.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported New York agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $20 million with former Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith.

The Texans don't need to pay a steep price in terms of money for a receiver like Allen at this stage of his career. Nico Collins certainly looked like a No. 1 option for C.J. Stroud with a career-high 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Houston has done a terrific job of being aggressive to add talent this offseason with Stroud entering just his second season on a rookie deal. The reigning AFC South champs Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair and Denico Autry to their defense in free agency.

If the Texans want to add another pass-catcher to their roster, there are plenty of options to choose from in the NFL draft. Even after trading away their first-round pick (No. 23 overall) to the Minnesota Vikings, they have two second-rounders and a third-rounder to use.

Assuming the Bears use the No. 1 pick in the draft on a quarterback, they are doing their best to put that person in a favorable environment to maximize his skill set right away. Allen is joining a receiver room that already had D.J. Moore.

Signing Allen to an extension will lower his 2024 cap hit for the Bears, though it's not necessary because they are still $35 million under the salary cap. He will likely be looking for a new deal, as this will be the final season of his four-year, $80 million deal signed in 2020.