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Surprise Bears Player Trying to Help Negotiate Keenan Allen Extension

With Keenan Allen's contract expiring at the end of the 2024 NFL season, one Bears player is doing his best to convince the veteran wideout to remain in Chicago.

By Devon Platana

Will WR Keenan Allen be convinced to sign a contract extension with the Bears?
Will WR Keenan Allen be convinced to sign a contract extension with the Bears? / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Bears began their 2024 training camp with a plethora of new faces last week, including veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen. The six-time Pro Bowl playmaker was acquired by the Bears in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick back in March after spending the first 11 seasons of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers.

While plenty of Bears fans were excited to see Allen join the Caleb Williams-led offense, others were concerned about the 32-year-old's outlook. After all, the ex-California product is set to play on an expiring contract next season and wants to see how Chicago performs before making a long-term commitment.

But even if Allen is uncertain about his Windy City future, one surprise Bears player plans to do his best to convince him to stay in town.

Bears Rumors: DJ Moore Wants Keenan Allen to Sign Extension

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported on Wednesday that fellow veteran WR DJ Moore is dead-set on trying to convince Allen to sign a new contract with the franchise. Moore told reporters following practice that he talks to Allen every day about a contract, telling him "let's get it done."

You can understand why Moore would love for Allen to stay with the Bears for the next few years. After all, the former 2017 Big Ten Receiver of the Year is less than 24 hours removed from signing the biggest contract extension in Bears history, coming in at $110 million spread across four years.

Allen was acquired by the Bears to help revamp the WR room in preparation for Williams' arrival. The former 2013 third-rounder has been one of the NFL's best wideouts throughout the last decade, racking up over 10,500 yards and 59 touchdowns across 139 career games. He also registered at least 1,100 receiving yards in five of the last seven seasons.

But as good as Allen has been and how promising Chicago's offensive future might be, it isn't shocking that he isn't ready to put pen to paper just yet. He expected to play the rest of his career in Los Angeles, which is why he was completely blindsided by the trade to Chicago. It's been less than five months since the deal was finalized, making it understandable if he wants to take some time.

Allen is set to carry a $23.1 million cap hit in 2024 following what was, arguably, the best performance of his career. If he can pick up from where he left off, chances are that he'll be looking to make a similar amount — if not more — on his next deal.

The good news is that Spotrac projects the Bears to have the fifth-most cap space in 2025 at just over $75.9 million. Considering that Chicago doesn't have a ton of important players to re-sign, there should still be more than enough money to bring Allen back next season if he isn't ready to commit just yet.

The future is still bright in Chi-town even if Allen is playing on an expiring contract. The Bears currently own the third-best NFC North odds (+300) on FanDuel Sportsbook, putting them within striking distance of the Detroit Lions (+140) and Green Bay Packers (+200.

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