The Washington Commanders have allowed two-time Pro Bowl selection Jonathan Allen permission to seek a trade, giving the veteran a chance to find a new home. Allen has been named in trade rumors over the past two-three years, and now he’ll finally be on a new team.
He only played in eight regular season games for the Commanders last season due to an injury, but returned in the playoffs.
After having an impressive year, the Commanders took a step in the right direction, and keeping Allen around could make sense.
However, that doesn’t seem likely, and PFN believes the veteran will land with the Chicago Bears via a trade.
“The Washington Commanders granted longtime stalwart Jonathan Allen permission to seek a trade before free agency. While the 30-year-old defensive lineman might be cut, the Chicago Bears could boost their pass rush by trading for Allen instead.
“Allen is due $17 million in 2025 in the last year of his contract. However, Chicago has nearly $75 million in cap space, fourth-most in the NFL, and could use a pass rush boost to complement Montez Sweat. The Bears ranked eighth in pressure rate in 2024 but only 16th in total pressures generated from defensive tackles,” PFN wrote.
Do the Bears Make Sense for Allen?
The Chicago Bears are looking to improve. 2024 was a better year for them than others, but it wasn’t good enough. Unlike the Washington Commanders, the Bears still have many questions to answer.
Allen could answer some of those if he’s healthy and produces at the level everyone knows he can.
Carmen Vitali of FOX believes he’d be a perfect fit for the Bears, citing his familiarity with former Commanders edge Montez Sweat.
“The Bears have switched defensive coordinators but the overall base scheme isn’t changing. Dennis Allen comes in running one of the most effective 4-3 systems in the league, and guess what makes life a whole lot easier on the entire defense? A really good three-technique,” Vitali wrote.
“Also, in the case of Jonathan Allen, he will already have familiarity with the Bears’ best pass-rusher in Montez Sweat, who is under contract for another couple years. Reuniting the pair could bring back the dominating fronts Washington was known for just a few seasons ago. While the Bears need help on both sides of the line, Allen would be a good and creative place to start as they assemble the team under Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen’s new vision.”
Allen Could Help Chicago
30 years old, Allen will have to prove he can stay on the field after dealing with an injury. That had never been an issue for him during his time with the Washington Commanders, giving the Chicago Bears another reason to trade for him.
In 2021, Allen posted nine sacks, and was among the top players in the NFL getting to the quarterback. The Bears could use that, and if the Commanders could get an average pick back for him, it might be all it takes to get a deal done for the star.
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