LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — If all goes according to plan this season, Bears veteran receiver Keenan Allen could become just the 15th player in NFL history to record 1,000 career receptions.
Entering his 12th year in the NFL, Allen has 904 career receptions – including 97 or more catches in six of the last seven seasons. Allen is a six-time Pro Bowl receiver, a model of consistency at his position and likely will don a gold jacket as a Pro Football Hall of Fame member once his career is over.
But this 2024 season brings a different dynamic for Allen, who's in his first season with the Bears and is on track to become a free agent next offseason. At 32 years old, Allen is aiming to prove himself once again to secure another lucrative contract.
“I have no problem doing that,” Allen said of playing in a contract year. “I’ll bet on myself any day of the week.”
Last week, the Bears awarded top receiver DJ Moore with a four-year contract extension worth up to $110 million and which guarantees him $82.6 million, a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL. After signing that deal, Moore made the case for Allen to be next at the negotiating table.
But the Bears are unlikely engage in contract extension discussions with Allen until midway through the season, as general manager Ryan Poles and his brass are eager to see how he performs, multiple sources have said.
The Bears want to protect themselves from the possibility of Allen's performance declining, and they're also confident in Moore and rookie Rome Odunze as a tandem at wide receiver. While Allen is set to serve as a key target on offense this season, Poles and his front office also plan to be mindful of the future.
Allen understands the business side for the Bears, though he’s hopeful to remain with this team beyond 2024.
“We already have great chemistry in the locker room, great friends already made and the city is beautiful,” Allen said. “The team is coming together nice. Absolutely.
“I think we’re going to be pretty good – on paper, at least.”
Allen has welcomed the professional change that came with being traded from the Chargers to the Bears in March, though it has also been an adjustment personally. He still maintains a home in Los Angeles and hasn’t yet moved his family to the Chicago area. Following the trade, Allen lived out of a hotel near Halas Hall.
Allen has already established himself as an important presence for the Bears in fewer than five months with the team. He and quarterback Caleb Williams spent late nights in that hotel running through the playbook and route concepts.
Allen has has also been a key mentor for Odunze. Each day in practice, Odunze studies Allen closely.
"It takes a very keen eye to even notice the things that he is doing,” Odunze said. “And obviously, no one has figured it out yet because they still can't guard him.”
The Bears' selection of Odunze solidified their wide receiver trio as one of the best in the NFL. Moore and Allen are the only current teammates in the NFL to have each surpassed 1,200 receiving yards in 2023, while Odunze has the potential to be a No. 1 target in time.
While Moore and Odunze are each locked in with the Bears for the long term, Allen faces uncertainty beyond 2024. He could also solidify his future in Chicago with a strong start to this prove-it season.
Allen's goal is fairly simple. He wants to stack another strong season on top of the rest.
“It’s just about consistency and availability,” Allen said. “That’s what I preach. As long as I’m available on the field, then I should be able to do what I do."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.