We haven't had much chance to revisit it since the Los Angeles Chargers' season went completely off the rails, but the decision to let Keenan Allen walk in free agency now seems like somewhat of a mistake.
The argument, at the time, was that Allen's possession skill set didn't fit perfectly in Mike McDaniel's anticipatory passing scheme. That still probably holds true. But none of Quentin Johnston, Tre' Harris, Brenen Thompson, or KeAndre Lambert-Smith have taken the leaps Los Angeles was hoping for by clearing Allen out of the wide receiver room, and having a veteran presence around to give Justin Herbert a trusted target in the midst of this disastrous season would certainly be helpful, to say the least.
What's done is done, though—and now it's time to hope Allen can reach the summit before his NFL career comes to an end. A surprise deadline move by the San Francisco 49ers may very well have just made that possible.
Keenan Allen's move to the 49ers likely gives him the best Super Bowl odds of his career
Allen is a Chargers legend. Of course it would be difficult to see him when a Super Bowl just hours north of the place where he toiled for one for 12 of his 14 NFL seasons.
But this is a deal that makes sense for both sides. The 49ers are in need of additional pass catchers after losing Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, and De'Zhaun Stribling to the IR. Deebo Samuel has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. Mike Evans has also missed San Francisco's last two games with an Achilles injury, and it's unclear exactly when he'll return to the fold for the 49ers offense.
For Indianapolis' part, this was already a lost season. The Daniel Jones extension has looked disastrous, and the front office had already decided to sell off its key pieces weeks before the deadline, when we saw both Deforest Buckner and Quenton Nelson dealt in separate trades.
It remains to be seen if they're going to strip it down entirely—dealing pieces like Josh Downs and Jonathan Taylor—but it was already very clear that the Colts weren't going anywhere this season. Retriieving a sixth-round pick for Allen was the best thing they could do both for themselves and the veteran receiver.
Allen likely isn't going to be an immediate difference-maker for the 49ers offense, even if his target share in his first couple weeks makes it appear that way. As of now, San Francisco is first in the NFL in EPA/play, and it's been the play-calling of Kyle Shanahan and the highly efficient performance of Brock Purdy that's gotten them there rather than any overwhelming talent at receiver.
But Allen still has it—he amassed 81 receptions for 777 yards and four touchdowns as a focal point of the Chargers' anemic offensive in 2025. There's a very strong chance he plays a key role in a playoff run for this 49ers team, even if Evans and Samuel are both fully healthy by the time the team gets there.
It's not an exciting time to be a Chargers fan. But if you're still a fan of Allen, there quite possibly wasn't a better trade deadline outcome than this.
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