The Chicago Bears and offensive prowess haven’t gone together in the same sentence for a while. Whether it’s been since Sweetness ran roughshod through the 80s, or the chuck-and-duck era of Jay Cutler to Brandon Marshall, The Windy City is starved for fireworks on offense. Entering his third season, Bears’ GM Ryan Poles received that order and delivered a feast. One of his best acquisitions was veteran WR Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chicago Bears Big Catch
Whether it’s because his career started with a small market team still in San Diego at the time, or his former team’s knack for fizzling out early in big moments, Keenan Allen has managed to fly under the radar during his tremendous NFL career. Over his first 11 years in the league, he has averaged over 75 yards and 6.5 receptions per game and has gone over 1,000 yards receiving in 6 of those seasons. Though Allen is entering his 12th season in the NFL, he has yet to see any major statistical decline. Last year he notched his highest total for catches in a season with 108 and his second-best yardage total at 1,243.
Keenan Allen’s durability and dedication to his craft puts him in the company of elite names like Davante Adams, A.J. Green, and Keyshawn Johnson on the all-time receiving yardage list at 10,530. Heading into this season, he has 904 career receptions – putting him ahead of Wes Welker and chasing close behind players like Travis Kelce and Julio Jones. Being surrounded by names like that in the record books, we sure don’t hear much national chatter about Keenan Allen’s accomplishments in the media.
With a body of work like that, Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles had to feel pretty good about landing a player of this caliber for just a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft. That’s a pretty good price, even for a player who turned 32 in April. Keenan Allen’s experience and veteran savvy should be invaluable assets for rookie QB Caleb Williams and new Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron to lean on during the Chicago Bears’ 2024 campaign. Though he may not be the deep threat he once was, Allen is still quick off the line and has great hands – bolstered by his 72% catch rate last season.
A Date With Chicago Bears History
Even if Keenan Allen has 16 fewer receptions than last season, he will still join the exclusive 1,000 reception club this year. Mark your calendars for the final two games of the Chicago Bears’ regular season: hosting the Seattle Seahawks at Soldier Field the day after Christmas and the season finale at Lambeau Field the following week, time TBD. As long as Keenan Allen stays relatively healthy this season, he has a real shot at achieving this milestone during one of those games.
Imagine Keenan Allen breaking into the 1,000-catch club at home in front of the faithful Chicago Bears fans on a cold December day on such hallowed ground. Bears fans would witness something they have never experienced throughout the club’s rich history. The scene would be electric at the Midway and a welcome gift for Bears fans everywhere to relish. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here – many things still need to fall into place for a grand moment like that to tickle our imaginations.
Final Thoughts
Chicago Bears OC Shane Waldron spent the last three seasons as OC for the Seattle Seahawks, where his squads finished 16th, 9th, and 17th in Team Offense. But, he’s never had a stable of weapons to deploy like he does this year in Chi-town. It will be tempting for Waldron to turn Caleb Williams loose and let him sling it all over the field, particularly if Williams sees success early on. During the 2022 season in Seattle, Waldron’s Offense had almost 150 more passing attempts than rushing attempts, throwing for just under 4,000 yards.
A similar scenario with the Chicago Bears would probably benefit star WR D.J. Moore and rookie standout WR Rome Odunze slightly more than Keenan Allen. However, Caleb Williams is still a rookie QB and his offensive line has some question marks in pass protection. That may force the coaching staff to protect Williams by deploying the short/intermediate passing attack, getting the ball out quickly. The latter style of play would perfectly accentuate Keenan Allen’s strengths as a WR. Either way, it should be a bottomless buffet of offense for the Chicago Bears this season.
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