The Denver Broncos have embraced their youth movement. However, they have more work to do on both sides of the ball, including on offense. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix lacked a consistent second option, and Keenan Allen could be that option.
Allen, 32, caught 70 passes for 744 yards and 7 touchdowns in 15 games with the Chicago Bears. He began his NFL career as a third-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2013.
Fantasy Life’s Ian Hartitz played “free agent WR matchmaker,” pairing Allen with the Broncos.
The No. 76 overall pick of the 2015 draft, Allen spent the first 11 years of his career with the Chargers, earning six Pro Bowl trips and Comeback Player of the Year (2017).
LA traded him to the Bears during the 2024 offseason.
Bears WR Keenan Allen Could Be Fit for Broncos
GettyCourtland Sutton #14 and Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos look on before the game against the Carolina Panthers.
His yards were his second-fewest since the 2016 season when he tore his ACL. But Allen found his stride late in the season, particularly with a stretch from Week 12 through 16 when he recorded a 32-412-5 line.
Allen is in the final year of a four-year, $80.1 million deal. According to Over The Cap, he has earned $132.9 million in his career.
Over the Cap projects the Broncos will have $34.8 million in room.
OTC gives Allen a $10.7 million valuation. That is more than Courtland Sutton, the Broncos’ WR1, counted against the cap in 2024 ($7.8 million). Sutton could also need a new contract on an expiring two-year, $27.5 million deal after re-working his four-year, $60 million pact in 2024.
The Broncos’ roster features several younger players, including 2023 second-round pick Marvin Mims Jr. and 2024 rookie draftees Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin Jr.
None of them are true slot options like Allen has been in his career.
He could be a safety valve for Nix, whose game relies on getting the ball out quickly and accurately. Allen is not as fast or quick as he once was. He is still a savvy route runner and is big – he is listed at 6-foot-2 – for a slot option.
However, the Broncos could face a bigger challenge in a potential pursuit of Allen in free agency this offseason.
Keenan Allen Plans to Play for Bears or LA Team
GettyKeenan Allen #13 of the Chicago Bears celebrates after his touchdown reception against the Detroit Lions.
All of this assumes the Broncos are even an option for Allen. Judging by his recent comments, that appears unlikely.
“I will say this: I’m not playing – it’s Chicago or it’s back to LA,” Allen told David Kaplan and Bears teammate Marcedes Lewis on “The Big Dog Show” in November 2024. “We ain’t going to a new city.”
That would eliminate the Broncos and many other potential suitors for the wideout’s services.
The Broncos could still offer Allen a contract, though convincing him to play for a team other than the one on his unofficial list could be costly.
They have other needs on that side of the ball, including tight end and potentially running back. Adding Allen could also buy more time for Franklin and Vele to refine their games while allowing Mims to maintain his role on special teams and as a gadget player in the Broncos offense.
Free agency is before the draft, so the situation should sort itself out quickly.
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