With hair that matches the Chicago Bears’ color scheme, Chase Allen joins the Chicago Bears after a five-season career with the Iowa State Cyclones.
As an alumnus of the University of Iowa, I decline to comment on Allen’s choice of school.
All joking aside, what are the Bears getting in Chase Allen?
Chicago Bears UDFA Profile: Chase Allen, TE, Iowa State
Though his career is labeled as five seasons, he was only used consistently for three seasons. From 2019 to 2021, Allen was the top tight-end target of the team in terms of receptions and yards.
As for touchdowns, there could be more in him, but as Bears fans saw with Cole Kmet specifically, touchdowns aren’t all that matters for tight ends.
Chase Allen stats year-by-year
- 2017: 9 targets, 4 receptions, 39 yards, 0 touchdowns
- 2018: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 84 yards, 0 touchdowns
- 2019: 24 targets, 17 receptions, 167 yards, 2 touchdowns
- 2020: 31 targets, 19 receptions, 236 yards, 2 touchdowns
- 2021: 30 targets, 24 receptions, 277 yards, 2 touchdowns
“Mr. Two Touchdowns” has a nice ring to it.
While two touchdowns per season likely don’t check the boxes for a Hall of Fame career, Allen’s consistency is there.
Chase Allen will likely be a lower-tier tight-end prospect on the Bears, but being wrong on that projection wouldn’t kill me.
There have been flashes of Allen making plays with the ball in his hands, but there’s more to be desired.
Chase Allen won’t be flexed out wide very often, but he’s a big TE at 6-6 with long arms and a massive catch radius.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) May 1, 2022
He brings energy, fluidity and physicality and could be a name for #Bears fans to watch in camp. pic.twitter.com/85wND4KIYQ
His 6-foot-7, weighing in at 251-pounds, makes him a good size to do damage in this league.
Pairing that size up with a 4.79 40-yard dash at Iowa State’s Pro Day makes for a solid base for a “project tight-end”. Getting him as a UDFA should only help the Chicago Bears’ tight end room.
Outside of Cole Kmet– who also isn’t “the guy” according to some– there isn’t a clear-cut TE2 on the Bears. After Kmet comes: Ryan Griffin, James O’Shaughnessy, and Jesper Horsted.
As a personal Jesper Horstead fan, he’ll always hold a special place in my heart, but Chase Allen could certainly compete with this group.
If nothing else, Allen could certainly be able to help the current tight ends get better. That’s likely not what Chase Allen wants, which, in theory, should only help his case for making the roster heading into the 2022-23 NFL season.