While talking about Bears move, Keenan Allen admits he didn’t want to take pay cut with Chargers

Keenan Allen has a salary cap number of $34.7 million.

While talking about Bears move, Keenan Allen admits he didn’t want to take pay cut with Chargers

Keenan Allen (Via NFL)

Lately, there has been a lot of chatter within the NFL regarding Keenan Allen’s possible departure from the Los Angeles Rams. It turns out to be true as the wide receiver is being traded to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick. 

Despite the NFL increasing the salary cap ahead of the 2024 offseason, certain teams still had to make some budget-cutting to secure potential players from free agency and drafts, as well as prevent the existing ones from leaving. One such team was the Rams, who asked some of its players, namely Edge rushers Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Allen to take a pay cut, to help the franchise balance the salary cap situation. 

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While Bosa and Mack took the pay cut, Allen wasn’t ready, as he revealed in a press conference held on Saturday. That’s the reason why he is leaving the Rams, even though he didn’t want to, as he said at the end of last season. 

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Allen said:

It really was no emotion, it was ‘I’m not doing it.’ I’m not doing it. I just came off my best season, so it’s not happening.
Keenan Allen said

Allen is entering the fourth year of his contract with the Rams and has a salary cap number of $34.7 million, including a $5 million bonus due on Sunday.

Keenan Allen’s career-high season statistics in 2023

Allen’s decision not to take the pay cut sure sounds reasonable given his statistics. He racked up catching 108 passes, 1,243 yards, and seven touchdowns last season with the Chargers. Not only it was his career-high in catches, but also the second-best touchdowns and yardage of his football career. 

Keenan Allen Los Angeles Chargers Chicago Bears
Keenan Allen (Via Imago)

The wide receiver’s career-best touchdown record was in his rookie year of eight touchdowns, which he hasn’t been able to surpass. His best season in terms of yardage was 2017 with 1,393 yards.

Having the best season in 2023, Allen expected anything but a pay cut from the Chargers. That’s why despite wanting to stay put and add more prominence to his stats with the Chargers, he had to part ways and trade to the Bears.

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