Veteran WR is drawing free-agency interest

Allen is two years older than Cooper, going into an age-33 season — should he choose to keep going — but teams remain interested in the polished route runner. Multiple teams have shown interest in Allen in recent weeks, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. This offering makes it sound like Allen does intend to play, as Schultz notes Allen is believed to have waited until camp to assess teams’ receiving situations.

An injury could shake up a team’s setup, but underperformance early in camp could as well. A number of teams could benefit from Allen, who is two years removed from averaging a career-high 95.6 receiving yards per game. Even on a disjointed Bears offense that featured two play-callers (and two Thomas Brown promotions), Allen churned out 744 yards and seven touchdown grabs in 15 games. The former Charger dynamo makes sense as a complementary option.

That said, Allen indicated early this year he would not want to play a 13th season in most of the NFL’s locales. He listed a Bears signing or a Los Angeles return as optimal, pointing to retirement if such a fit did not materialize. The Rams signed Davante Adams weeks after Allen’s comments, and they have the recently re-signed Tutu Atwell in place as a No. 3 option. The Bears drafted Luther Burden to pair with D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, effectively finding a cheaper option after trading for Allen last March.

Jim Harbaugh did not close the door on circling back to Allen, though the second-year Chargers HC did not sound overly eager on that front. But the recently re-signed Mike Williams has since retired, opening a spot for a Ladd McConkey supplementary target. Allen regularly operated in the slot in Los Angeles and San Diego, though, potentially providing a complication due to McConkey’s skillset. Allen also did not leave L.A. on great terms, as the Bolts offered to keep him at a reduced rate before the trade.

A year later, he would not command close to the $20M per year he was earning. The Chargers also drafted two receivers (Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith) following Harbaugh’s Allen comment. Quentin Johnston also lingers as an option, but the Bolts struggled to find non-McConkey aerial answers last season.

Allen would enter a 13th season having posted six 1,000-yard slates en route to six Pro Bowls. The Broncos came up as a potentially interested party in April, but they used a third-round pick on Pat Bryant. Allen would stand to give the team a refined Courtland Sutton sidekick, however; Marvin Mims‘ gadget presence notwithstanding, the team may lack such a piece presently. As it stands, though, Allen is unsigned. It will be interesting to see if he has expanded his list of acceptable destinations, seeing as the Chicago and L.A. routes may not materialize.