Wide receiver Keenan Allen being traded from Chargers to Bears for a fourth-round pick

Keenan Allen said at the end of the Los Angeles Chargers’ disappointing 2023 season that he didn’t want to play anywhere else.

Fast forward to Thursday night, and the team’s longest-tenured player was traded to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick.

Allen is going into the final season of a four-year extension he signed in 2020. The veteran wide receiver declined to take a pay cut or restructure his contract, according to a person familiar with the trade.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person isn’t at liberty to publicly discuss personnel moves.

Allen’s salary cap number for the upcoming season is $34.7 million, including a $5 million roster bonus due on Sunday. He restructured his contract last season, with most of his base salary converted to a roster bonus to give the Chargers more flexibility.

“What Keenan Allen has meant to the Chargers for more than a decade cannot adequately be expressed through mere words,” Chargers President of Football Operations John Spanos said in a statement. “Keenan’s impact lives in the hearts of our fans, in the communities which he has served and amongst the countless teammates who have formed a brotherhood with him. There will only be one Keenan Allen, and we cannot thank him enough for the contributions he has made to our organization both on and off the field.”

The Chargers were $21 million over the salary cap before the start of free agency on Wednesday, and they responded with moves involving the top four players on their roster with the biggest salary cap numbers. They released wide receiver Mike Williams while linebackers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack agreed to restructure their contracts.

Allen said during the team’s final regular-season availability that he could see himself playing for another team if there was a chance to win.

The Bears went 7-10 in their third straight losing season and haven’t finished above .500 since going 12-4 to capture the NFC North…

Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/wide-receiver-keenan-allen-being-025746752.html

Author : The Canadian Press

Publish date : 2024-03-15 04:34:02

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