The Los Angeles Chargers traded long-time wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears last week, and head coach Jim Harbaugh says the trade was indicative of the harsh reality of the NFL.
When asked about Allen this week, Harbaugh said the trade of Allen was mutually beneficial for both sides.
“It’s the business part of it. And everybody does what’s in their best interest,” Harbaugh said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “And Keenan, I mean, [you] make $23 million a year and play in Chicago, you know, who’s got it better?”
The Chargers received a fourth-round draft pick from the Bears in the deal.
Allen, who played his collegiate football at the University of California, was selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The franchise was still in San Diego at the time.
The 31-year-old enjoyed a strong rookie campaign, catching 71 passes for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns. For the next three years, however, Allen fell off the map, as injuries derailed him and he became an almost forgotten commodity.
Then, in 2017, Allen broke out, hauling in 102 receptions for 1,396 yards and six scores en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Overall, Allen made six trips to the Pro Bowl throughout his 11-year tenure with the Chargers, logging six 1,000-yard seasons.
Between 2017 and 2021, as a matter of fact, Allen earned five straight Pro Bowl selections. His streak was interrupted in 2022 due to injuries, but he once again made the Pro Bowl this past year after snaring 108 balls for 1,243 yards while reaching the end zone seven times.
Allen will now join a Chicago receiving corps that already houses D.J. Moore, so the Bears will now have one of the more dynamic wide out tandems in football.
As for Harbaugh and Los Angeles, they’ll have to find a way to adjust without Keenan Allen, although Jim Harbaugh seems confident LA will be just fine.
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