Was it a bad year for Keenan Allen of the Chicago Bears? Perhaps, but not all of that falls on the 33-year-old wide receiver.
Allen and the Bears didn’t have the season they were looking to have, and there isn’t much of a question about that. The hope is for the team to figure it out this season, but that likely won’t be with Allen on the roster.
The veteran is still on the free agency market, with multiple teams in need of a wide receiver who can go out and make plays.
Searching for a potential landing spot, Tyler Dragon of USA Today predicted that Allen would land with the San Francisco 49ers, a team that needs a wide receiver more than any other in the NFL.
“Allen isn’t too far removed from breaking the Chargers single-season receptions record in 2023. However, there were signs of slippage in his lone season in Windy City. Some of his decline in production could be attributed to the difficulties of catching passes from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
“Best fit: The 49ers traded Deebo Samuel and Ricky Pearsall has a hamstring injury. Samuel would give Brock Purdy a nice security blanket in the slot,” he wrote.
With Deebo Samuel traded to the Washington Commanders, Brandon Aiyuk expected to miss some part of the year, and other injuries, the 49ers could look at the North Carolina native as a potential solution.
After impressing with the Los Angeles Chargers throughout the first nine years of his career, Allen has already proven that he can play on the West Coast.
If the 49ers got anything that he was during 2023, when he posted 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns for the Chargers, they’d be getting a steal at this point.