Keenan Allen Set to Return to Chargers on One-Year Deal

Over the course of the offseason, wide receiver Keenan Allen has remained a free agent far longer than many initially anticipated. With the regular season just a month away, the conversation shifted — not so much about where Allen might land, but whether he would find a team at all. This uncertainty created a buzz among fans and analysts around the league, sparking speculation that this could be the end of Allen’s storied career. However, this week brought surprising news as an old home reached out to reunite Allen with the team where his professional journey first began: the Los Angeles Chargers.

After spending one season with the Chicago Bears, Allen is now making his way back to the Chargers on a one-year, $8.52 million contract, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Allen’s trade from Los Angeles to Chicago ahead of the 2024 season was somewhat unexpected, and his reunion with the Chargers closely follows another surprising development — the retirement of his former teammate, wide receiver Mike Williams.

His return bolsters a wide receiver corps that already features 2024 rookie standout Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and promising 2025 draft picks Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, injecting veteran leadership and proven production into an otherwise youthful lineup.

Allen, drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Chargers, spent 11 seasons with the franchise, earning six Pro Bowl selections and cementing himself as one of the league’s most consistent and reliable receivers.

During his decade-plus with the Chargers, Allen compiled an impressive 904 receptions, 10,530 receiving yards, and 59 touchdowns. Notably, in the 2023 season — his final campaign before the trade — he posted a Pro Bowl-caliber year with a career-high 108 receptions for 1,243 yards. Despite that success, contract negotiations between Allen and the Chargers stalled when he declined to accept a pay cut, leading to his trade to Chicago for the final year of his deal.

Now, with his return secured, the Chargers are set to open their regular season against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 — a fresh chapter for Allen, but one written on familiar ground.