Keenan Allen is open to returning to the Chicago Bears for the 2025 season, but whom the Bears hire as their next head coach will play a role in his decision.
Allen reiterated his willingness to negotiate a new deal with the Bears for next season while speaking with reporters on January 3 ahead of the team’s regular-season finale, but the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver also expressed a desire to see the Bears hire a new head coach with experience, according to The Chicago Sun Time’s Patrick Finley.
Allen — who will become a free agent in March — added that he is also open to returning to Los Angeles where his family currently lives and either reuniting with the Chargers or signing a deal to play for the Rams. Allen’s family did not move with him to Chicago when the Chargers traded him during the 2024 offseason, but he said via Finley that he would consider moving his family to the Chicago area if he re-signed with the Bears.
“I have to talk it over with the wife and the kids to see what they want to do,” Allen said, via Finley.
The Bears (4-12) will finish their regular season against the Green Bay Packers (11-5) at Lambeau Field at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, January 5.
Keenan Allen Projected to Make $16M+ on Next Deal
The Bears have the financial resources to make some significant moves during the 2025 free agency with Over the Cap projecting them to have about $82 million in cap space. If re-signing Allen is one of them, though, it might not come cheap for Chicago.
Allen has just one game left on the four-year, $80.1 million contract extension that he originally signed with the Chargers during the 2020 season and is unlikely to seek as much as $20 million annually on his next deal given his injury history and his age. Still, Spotrac projects Allen’s market value could surpass $16 million annually in free agency, estimating that the 32-year-old will sign a two-year contract worth $32.45 million.
Now, the Bears could afford such a price for Allen. They are already paying roughly $30 million combined to wide receivers D.J. Moore and rookie first-rounder Rome Odunze for the 2025 season, but their ample cap space gives them plenty of flexibility to make it work. The question is: How certain is it that the Bears will pursue re-signing Allen?
Bears’ Interest in Keenan Allen Not Guaranteed for 2025
What Allen wants to do next will ultimately play the biggest role in his NFL future. He could decline to negotiate with the Bears if he does not like their choice for head coach just as easily as he could agree to a team-friendly deal to continue building in Chicago. He could also hone his focus on the two L.A.-based teams, if his family wants to stay.
That said, there is no guarantee the Bears — and their not-yet-hired head coach — will make a significant effort to re-sign Allen for the 2025 season.
Allen has 67 receptions for 716 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns in 14 games for the Bears this season ahead of Week 18’s final game, but he will turn 33 in April and is on track to finish with the lowest catch percentage (53.8%) of his career. While the Bears likely appreciate what he has brought to the table as a veteran mentor for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams — and Allen has been complimentary of him — they must determine if retaining him is worth paying him upwards of $16 million annually.
The thoughts of the Bears’ next head coach should also factor into the decision. If they hire an offensive-minded coach — such as Detroit’s Ben Johnson or Buffalo’s Joe Brady — the front office will need to meet with him and decide if Allen fits his vision for their offense. Allen is still a playmaker, but he has his downsides in the twilight of his career.
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