One of the NFL’s longest free agency sagas of the offseason has ended. With training camps underway, few notable free agents remained on the market. The biggest name on the board has found his team: wide receiver Keenan Allen is going back to the Los Angeles Chargers.
It’s reportedly a one-year, $8.52 million deal for the franchise legend. Allen, 33, recorded 70 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns across 15 games with the Chicago Bears this past season. It was his first year away from the Chargers, and now he returns to the team he spent the first 11 years of his career with. In those 11 seasons, Allen caught 904 balls for 10,530 yards and 59 touchdowns while making six Pro Bowls.
Allen is second in Chargers history in receptions and receiving yards behind Antonio Gates, and third in touchdown receptions behind Gates and Lance Alworth. He’s 51 catches and 1,311 yards behind Gates for the top spot in franchise history, and has a good shot at breaking the receptions record this year if he can stay healthy.
Keenan brings a veteran presence to a very young receiving group. Second-year sensation Ladd McConkey figures to be the top target for Justin Herbert after an 82/1149/7 receiving line during his rookie year. Third-year former first-rounder Quentin Johnston is coming off a solid 2024, where he reeled in 55 catches for 711 yards and eight scores. Second-round rookie Tre Harris figures to rotate in heavily on the outside.
Allen will likely work out of the slot, as usual. He has four years of experience working with Herbert already, where he averaged 95 catches for 1,031 yards and 6.3 touchdowns. He’s likely to be the No. 2 receiving option in their run-first offense, and should be a redraft fantasy target.
