NFL: London Games Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) catches a three-yard touchdown pass against Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (30) in the second half during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Chicago Bears WR could land with perennial contender

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated May 22, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers made a long-term commitment to quarterback Brock Purdy last week, and could turn to a former Chicago Bears wide receiver to upgrade the talent around their freshly minted $265 million quarterback.

Former Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen remains available, even as OTAs roll on across the country, and according to Bleacher Report, the 49ers could be an ideal destination.

“The 49ers signed Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension,” analyst Moe Moton writes for B/R. “As running back Christian McCaffrey ages, San Francisco’s high-paid signal-caller must carry more of the offensive load, and to do that, he needs a full deck of pass-catchers.

“With the absence of Aiyuk and uncertainty around Demarcus Robinson, Allen would be a solid fit to round out three-receiver sets alongside Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. He’s also an upgrade over Robinson and would allow the 49ers to slowly ease Aiyuk back into action.”

Allen, 33, at the very least would be a quality depth addition to the 49ers’ receiving crops after catching 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in Bears quarterback Caleb Williams‘ arsenal.

Likewise, given Jauan Jennings and Ricky Persall’s combined five years of experience, adding a veteran presence such as Allen could make an outsized impact on a receiving corps that moved on from Deebo Samuel this offseason.

Why haven’t the Chicago Bears brought Keenan Allen back?

NFL: Chicago Bears Rookie Minicamp Chicago Bears Luther Burden at rookie minicamp – Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have overhauled Williams’ supporting cast in the span of one offseason, and at least one of the moves is a key indicator of why Chicago has made little effort to re-sign Allen.

While Johnson has raved about second-year receiver Rome Odunze in the early portion of OTA practices this spring, selecting Luther Burden III in the second round, which in a lot of ways was doubling down on setting Williams up to make big strides, likely sealed Allen’s fate.

Burden, 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds, essentially fills the role that Allen had been occupying in the Bears’ offense, while resetting the financial clock with a player viewed as one of the top prospects in a deep class at receiver.