It took months of speculation but it finally happened: Keenan Allen returned to the LA Chargers, signing a one-year deal with the team on Tuesday. Allen joins an exciting young wide receiver room that has more depth than the wide receiver room he left behind in 2023.
Allen is no longer in his prime and the Chargers don't need the prime version of Slayer for this signing to be successful. The Chargers just need someone who Justin Herbert is comfortable throwing to, particularly on third down and in the redzone. Allen is just that.
Injecting Allen into the wide receiver room undoubtedly shakes it up heading into the 2025 season. Unfortunately for some, Allen is going to take a roster spot that otherwise would have went to someone else. With that in mind, the biggest loser of this Allen signing is quite clear.
Chargers will definitely cut Jalen Reagor after signing Keenan Allen
There just isn't room for Jalen Reagor, whose roster chances took a massive spike after Mike Williams retired on the first day of training camp. With special-teams value and some experience at X receiver, Reagor was likely going to sneak his way into the 53-man roster if the Chargers didn't make any moves.
Allen may not be an X receiver but his addition takes away the room Reagor needed to make the cut. The Chargers are only going to carry so many receivers and they have a much better backup X receiver in rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
Anything can happen throughout the final three weeks of the preseason but the Chargers' wide receiver room is shaping up clearly. Allen, Ladd McConkey, Tre' Harris, Quentin Johnston, KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Derius Davis are the six wideouts who will likely make the cut.
The Chargers could carry a seventh wideout, which is what the team did last season, but there is too much competition on the roster to do that. With so much more depth in other areas, the Chargers can't afford to carry a seventh receiver who won't play anyway.
Reagor shouldn't fret much, though, as he will almost certainly land on the Chargers practice squad. He will be the first man up if the Chargers suffer any injuries, especially if Davis is the one who is injured. The Chargers can scramble for a return man in-game if Davis gets hurt, but Reagor will likely assume kick-return duties if Davis is hurt long-term.
This also confirms an inevitable cut Chargers fans have seen coming. 2024 seventh-round pick Brenden Rice was already on the outside looking in. Now, he is the eighth wide receiver (at best) on the depth chart. There's no reasonable path to him making the roster that doesn't involve multiple injuries.
This is unfortunate for Reagor but it will make the Chargers better. The Chargers are much better off with Allen occupying a roster spot instead of Reagor. That is an indisputable fact.