The Chicago Bears have a ton of flexibility to change the roster this offseason, but all of that freedom could lead to a costly mistake or two.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report suggested on Wednesday, February 26, that parting ways with six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen in the interest of saving a little bit of money would be such an error, if that’s the path Chicago chooses to tread.
“Caleb Williams really likes working with the veteran, and his presence is strong on the field and in the locker room,” Gagnon wrote. “That should be all that is needed to bring the 32-year-old back.”
Bears Predicted to Cut Ties With Keenan Allen in Free Agency
GettyWide receiver Keenan Allen of the Chicago Bears.
Courtney Cronin of ESPN reported on February 17 that the Bears are likely to part ways with Allen next month, adding that he is not likely to make sense at the one-year price of a franchise tag designation, which Spotrac projects at more than $23.5 million.
“Chicago’s top two pending free agents — receiver Keenan Allen and guard Teven Jenkins — wouldn’t qualify for the tag for a number of reasons,” Cronin wrote. “Allen will be 33 this season, and Jenkins missed 23 games over four seasons because of injury. It’s more likely the Bears let both players walk and find their replacements in free agency or the draft.”
Chicago sent the Los Angeles Chargers a fourth-round pick for Allen last Spring, picking up the final season of his $80.1 million contract, which carried a salary cap hit of $23.1 million. Considering the cost, letting Allen walk in free agency would render the move an overall failure given how much the Bears struggled on their way to a 5-12 record.
Bears Will Prioritize Offensive Line, Pass Rusher Over Keeping Keenan Allen
GettyChicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
Allen may be a superfluous option in Chicago’s receiver room considering the presence of D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze on long-term contracts. That said, new head coach Ben Johnson made his name as the Detroit Lions‘ offensive coordinator for three years, where he had weapons all over the field.
Spotrac projects Allen’s market value at just over $11 million annually across a new two-year contract. Allen is likely to want more, even though he produced only a moderately successful campaign in 2024, putting up 70 catches for 744 yards and a team-high 7 TDs. He suffered a heel injury at the beginning of the season, and Allen should theoretically be able to put up better numbers in 2025 assuming relative health and a leap from Williams in his first season under Johnson.
The Bears currently have nearly $74.7 million in 2025 salary cap space, a figure that will jump to upwards of $100 million when a league-wide cap spike of between $22-$26 million kicks in. That amount of money should allow Chicago to bring back Allen if he’s willing to return at a reasonable price point. However, the cap spike will also lend itself to free agents seeking bigger deals.
Beyond that, Johnson must focus on overhauling the offensive line as well as adding a high-end pass rusher. Chicago owns three picks in the first two rounds (Nos. 10, 39 and 41), which will allow the team to address some of its issues via relatively inexpensive rookie contracts.
However, if the Bears go big in free agency by signing a player like Kansas City Chiefs star offensive guard Trey Smith, that could impact how the franchise approaches more fringe pieces like Allen moving forward.
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