After he spent his first 11 NFL seasons with the Chargers (San Diego, then Los Angeles), the Chicago Bears parted with a fourth-round pick to bring in Keenan Allen as a veteran presence for their wide receiver corps.
Allen was not merely a veteran presence last season, as he tallied 70 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. He was second on the team in the first two categories, and he led the Bears in touchdown catches.
As training camp nears, Allen is lingering as one of top available free agents at any position. It's worth wondering about the possibility he could come back to the Bears as a trusted target for Caleb Williams, but that ship has seemingly sailed with Rome Odunze lined up for a bigger role in his second season.
That said, Allen should have some options and the market for his services could heat up as training camp looms around the league.
Keenan Allen predicted to sign with team he has no apparent interest in
There has been no indication Allen is ready to retire, and he clearly has something left in the tank at 33 years old. But moving toward his 13th season, it's very possible he didn't want to do OTAs and minicamp and potential suitors knew that. It's also possible he has an understanding with a team along that line, and he'll be signing soon.
With that possibly in mind, Moe Moton of Bleacher Report has predicted Allen will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp.
"As ESPN's Peter Schrager pointed out, the Pittsburgh Steelers are making win-now moves."
'This offseason, they have added multiple veterans with decorated resumes, signing quarterback Aaron Rodgers and cornerback Darius Slay, and acquiring wideout DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith via trades."
"The Steelers should make another move for a wide receiver to help Rodgers. Keenan Allen could fit within their receiver rotation."
"Allen is capable of lining up on the perimeter or the inside, allowing him to coexist with Calvin Austin III, who made big plays out of the slot last season."
"In 2024, Allen finished second on the Chicago Bears in catches (70) and receiving yards (744) and led the team in touchdown receptions (seven), showing he can still play at a high level."
"With Metcalf and Austin as the big-play receivers, Allen would be the trusted chain-mover in the Steelers' revamped passing attack."
Signing Allen would make a lot of sense for the Steelers, since they are automatically in "win-now" mode with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback this year. But here's what Allen said during a TikTok livestream when asked about signing there after the move to add Rodgers became official.
"There's two sides to every story. I mean, A-Rod being a quarterback, of course that interests you. But Pittsburgh? No," Allen said.
Allen did keep the door open to the Steelers when he said, "But hey, you never know."
Allen presumably wouldn't mind playing for a Super Bowl contender. Beyond that his "Pittsburgh" comment seemed to show a desire to play in a warm weather city, or for a team that plays its home games indoors. A reunion with the Chargers seems possible, as does a reunion with former Bears and Chargers wide receivers coach Chris Beatty in Las Vegas. There are also multiple "cold weather" teams who have a better chance to win the Super Bowl this year than the Steelers do, and some of them could have interest in Allen.
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Such as Allen has options, and he should have multiple, the Steelers don't seem to be one he likes very much (perhaps on multiple fronts). Time will tell if Moton's prediction comes true, but it's definitely on the unlikely side right now.