T
he Los Angeles Chargers brought back a familiar face this week. Keenan Allen, who spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Chargers, re-joined the team on August 5, signing a one-year deal to return to the team that drafted him. And while fans are ecstatic to see a legend come home, Joe Hortiz, revealed that bringing back Allen was not a spur of the moment move.
There were rumors for months that the Chargers wanted to bring back Allen and while Hortiz admitted that Allen was always an option that the team was looking at, the recent retirement of Mike Williams not only opened up a spot for Allen, but it made the deal come together much faster than the team expected.
Hortiz Comments on Allen
The most decorated wide receiver in franchise history, Allen’s original departure from the Chargers was bittersweet, marking the end of one era and the start of a new one under head coach, Jim Harbaugh. But while he was gone, Ladd McConkey established himself as the team’s new No. 1 receiver, with many giving up hope on a reunion with Allen during the offseason– when the Chargers drafted two receivers and brought back Williams to pair with McConkey and Quentin Johnston. And while Hortiz had kept in touch with Allen, Williams’ abrupt retirement on the first day of camp swung the door for a reunion wide open, and was the first call that Hortiz made after the Williams move became official.
“Mike leaving may have opened up more of an opportunity, but I’ve always talked to Keenan as an option,” Hortiz said. “We’ve had conversations with his agent and it just kind of came to fruition.”
During his 11 season first stint with the Chargers, Allen made six Pro Bowls, won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2017 and is one of two players in team history to amass at least 10,000 receiving yards. Now, he returns to the team that got him to where he is with the chance to end a spectacular career on a high note.
What Role Will Allen Have This Season?
Allen was not gone for long, but he is returning to a much different Chargers team. The face of the offense when he was first there, Allen signed with the Chicago Bears last season and got his first taste of action as a supporting player, recording 70 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns as Chicago’s No. 3 receiver behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. In his second stint in LA, the 33-year-old Allen will most likely be the No. 3 receiver this time around– with a chance to become the No. 2 if he has a better training camp than Johnston.
But being a supporting cast member at this point in the career could be good for the veteran. A smaller role could preserve his health and keep him healthy through the entire 17 game season. Healthy throughout most of his career, Allen has had seasons where he missed time due to injuries, most notably in 2015, 2016 and 2022. But if he can stay healthy and be a productive player this season, the Chargers may be in store for a dominant campaign.
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