Keenan Allen (13, being tackled by Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson) had eight receptions for 69 yards in the Chargers’ 30-13 victory over the Bears at SoFi Stadium on Oct. 29 last season.
Ronald Martinez, Getty
The Bears’ trade for six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen has elicited an enthusiastic response to rival some of the Bears’ biggest trades in recent years — Jay Cutler in 2009, Brandon Marshall in 2012 and Khalil Mack in 2018.
And not just from fans. Tight end Gerald Everett, a teammate of Allen’s the last two seasons with the Chargers, who signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Bears in free agency, is happy to be rejoining Allen in Chicago.
“Excited. Excited,” Everett said when asked his reaction to the news of the trade. “He was one of the first guys that I actually intertwined with when I joined the Chargers in 2022. It’s good to make this transition with a familiar face.”
Allen is coming off another Pro Bowl season with the Chargers, with 108 receptions for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games before missing the final four games with a shoulder injury. His 95.6 yards per game was fifth in the NFL last season.
“He’s a craftsman,” Everett said of Allen. “He’s very consistent, just how he approaches the practice field every day. He’s a laid-back guy, but when the lights come on, he produces. It’s infectious. People feed off that and the Chargers, we fed off that. Watching him when I was with the Rams (in 2017-20), [they] always fed off Keenan. I don’t see that changing here, even with DJ [Moore.].”
Everett himself has been a model of consistency with the Rams, Seahawks and Chargers. He had 51 receptions for 411 yards and three touchdowns with the Chargers in 2023. He’ll play a complementary role as the move tight end, replacing Robert Tonyan.
He’s familiar with new Bears coordinator Shane Waldron and his offense. Waldron was Everett’s tight ends coach in 2017 with the Rams and the passing game coordinator in 2018-20, and the offensive coordinator with the Seahawks when Everett was there in 2021.
“I think [the Bears are] gonna get what they bargained for,” Everett said. “It’s gonna be a good situation. We’re gonna have a lot of production. We’re gonna have a lot of cohesion in our room. The sky’s the limit for us — especially with Shane calling the plays.”