The Bears acquired six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen from the Chargers for a fourth-round draft pick, it was announced Thursday.
Courtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.Allen, 31, is entering the final year of the four-year contract extension he signed in 2020 and is due a $5 million roster bonus Sunday.
Last month at the NFL combine, coach Matt Eberflus noted the priority of adding more players to Chicago's wide receiver room. Former Bears receiveras the only receivers on the Bears' roster. Webster has spent the majority of his career in Chicago on the practice squad. Allen is the third skill player the Bears have added on offense this week, along with former Chargers tight endAllen was among four Chargers players who entered the offseason with cap hits upwards of $30 million next season, along with outside linebackers, whom the team released Wednesday, saving $20 million this year. The players represented four of the five highest non-quarterback cap hits in the NFL.
In January, Allen was the most vocal among the Chargers' stars about wanting to stay in Los Angeles. Mack said he understood that the NFL was a business, Bosa never spoke publicly about his future and Williams said he wanted to return, but didn't do so as emphatically as Allen.