This offseason, the Chargers were left in a rough cap space situation. Los Angeles needed to make serious cuts this offseason to get under the cap for 2024. Four key players were all reportedly on the chopping block. Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen all had significant cap hits for 2024.
Bosa and Mack took pay cuts this offseason to stay with the team. Williams tested his luck in free agency and signed a two-year deal with the New York Jets. Then there’s Keenan Allen. The 31-year-old is coming off another outstanding season. However, the team traded Allen to the Bears for a fourth-round pick. Now, Allen’s agent refutes that Los Angeles made more than one offer to Pro Bowl WR. It’s as if GM Joe Hortiz had already made up his mind about trading Allen no matter what.
Did the Chargers give Keenan Allen a fair chance to re-sign with the team?
To be clear, only one offer was made. It was a pay cut for 2024 with a 2-year extension (and both years had even deeper cuts to his current pay). We made a counter offer. It was rejected. Then we were informed of the #Chargers intention to trade @Keenan13Allen.
— Joby Branion (@jobybranion) March 22, 2024
The 2023 season was Keenan Allen’s 11th with the Chargers and his last with the franchise. After a career-high 150 receptions last season, Los Angeles traded him away to the Bears. Initially, it was a shock to see Allen traded to Chicago for just a fourth-round pick. However, his end with the Chargers became complicated. Yesterday, Chargers’ GM Joe Hortiz spoke with the media about why the team was not able to get a deal done with Allen.
Hortiz told reporters that the team approached Allen multiple times about his contract issue. Signing Allen to a contract extension was mentioned. However, Joe Hortiz made it seem like Allen was not willing to work with the team. So they traded him to the Bears. That’s where Allen’s agent Joby Branion went on X last night to refute those comments by Hortiz. Branion explained how just one offer was made to Keenan Allen. It was a significant pay cut. Additionally, they had a two-year extension offered to Allen with even deeper pay cuts than in 2024.
Chargers GM explains offseason moves: Retaining Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack “wasn’t a realistic end result”https://t.co/amziEXdMey pic.twitter.com/PBxLHMiwdq
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 22, 2024
Keenan Allen’s party tried to make a counter-offer with the Chargers after they offered him an extension. It was then rejected by the team and Allen was later informed they planned to trade him. A bumpy end to his time in Los Angeles. Regardless, Allen is stepping into what will be one of the most intriguing teams in 2024. Chicago has the first overall pick and they’re going to take Caleb Williams. The rookie QB will have Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore as his top two targets on offense.
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