ESPN: Keenan Allen approached Bears about contract extension

The Chicago Bears are fresh off of signing wide receiver DJ Moore to a massive four-year, $110 million contract extension in a move I dubbed a stroke of genius. But anytime an NFL team has more than one elite skill player on the roster, another contract demand looms around the corner. And that’s exactly the case with Moore’s running mate, Keenan Allen.

According to a report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Allen recently changed agents and approached the Bears about a contract extension.

“But so far, they haven’t made progress on that front,” Graziano said of the Allen extension talks. “The Moore contract, done with two years left on his prior deal, shows that the Bears consider the 27-year-old a key building block for their future along with Odunze. They’ll likely wait and see on the 32-year-old Allen before committing beyond this year.”

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Chicago Bears should wait until end of 2023 season to extend Keenan Allen

Unlike DJ Moore’s deal, which was wise to get done before the start of the season (just look at the wide receiver contracts begin given to guys in their prime), GM Ryan Poles should wait until the end of the season before engaging in serious contract extension talks with Keenan Allen.

Look, Allen is a superstar. We all know this. He’s one of the 10 best receivers in the NFL, and the Chicago Bears are lucky to have him. But he’s also entering his 12th season and will be 33 years old at the start of the 2025 season.

Sure, a player with Allen’s traits ages like fine wine. He’s not a receiver who relies on juice or twitch to win. Instead, Allen is an artful route-runner who will continue to produce for the next few years. But Keenan Allen is also a prideful guy (as he should be). He won’t take a “Chicago discount.” Why would he? He has no loyalty to the Bears as his hometown team, Chicago didn’t draft him. He’s looking to cash in, and if there’s a salary-cap-rich team next year this time that’s willing to meet his likely overpaid demands? God bless.

The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, should keep an eye on the future with Rome Odunze as the “next” guy who could earn a massive payday in the wide receiver room. Sure, Odunze is a rookie and has a long way to go before he’s crowned as a second-contract guy. But for now? That should be the expectation, and if the Bears pay Allen too early, it could end up costing them later.