Allen remains the Chargers' most reliable third-down weapon. His ability to consistently get open, even as he nears free agency, proves his indispensable value.
I spent much of this season holding two thoughts in my head about Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen:
First, he's still here?!? And, yes, I know that he spent the 2024 NFL season with the Chicago Bears and that's the only reason why it took until the 2025 season for him to break some of the Chargers all-time receiving record. We don't need to talk about that.
Second, the Chargers need him so very badly.
It was, for all intents and purposes, a very good year for Keenan Allen. He signed back with the Chargers in free agency and took a chance with an incentive-laden one-year contract that paid him a base salary of just $1.225 million. From my accounting, he ended up adding another $1.25 million on top of that by hitting incentives for receptions and yards (as well as a playoff berth).
Allen finished 16th in the entire NFL in receptions and 38th in receiving yards, a pattern that holds when looking at other stats as well. What he's lost in downfield speed (which was never really his game anyway), Keenan has gained in experience. He has weaponized his feet and quickness and body control to the point of being one of the best WRs in the league at getting open quickly for short receptions.
If you want a comp from a guy that played forever ago, and yet was Allen's teammate for a time, he plays kind of like the later stages of Antonio Gates' career. Which means he's also the team's best target on third down by a wide margin.
He's also about to become an unrestricted free agent.
According to The Football Database, this season Keenan Allen was 1st in receptions and 10th in receiving yards on third down. Watch or listen to any broadcast this year and you'll hear the commentators bring up his name and mention some variation of "Mr. Third Down" or "Third & Keenan" before the ball is even snapped. Third down conversions have become his calling card.
And, with one possible exception, I don't see anyone in this Chargers offense that can take the torch from the 33-year old (he'll turn 34 this offseason). Either due to a tendency to drop passes (Oronde Gadsden II, Quentin Johnston) or an inability to get open quickly (Ladd McConkey) from the other candidates, the Chargers should be calling Allen's agent today to see if he can return to the team for next season.
The one other path that I will entertain is Cleveland Joseph (Tre) Harris III, the team's 2nd round pick in 2025. He did not get a ton of opportunity, he finished with roughly the same number of targets as rookie RB Omarion Hampton (who missed about half the season) and about one-third of what Keenan Allen got, but he only had one official drop all season.
To my untrained eye, Harris looks like someone with I would try to replace Keenan Allen with. What he lacks in downfield speed, he seems to make up for with body control and route-running. Sound familiar? That being said, I'd rather have two of those guys on the roster (because WRs get hurt a lot) than just one, if it's all the same.