Keenan Allen's destiny has been a closely followed topic for LA Chargers fans. Allen has not been shy about his desire to return to the Bolts this offseason and the more time has passed, the more likely a reunion has become.
There have been several benchmarks throughout the offseason that have pointed Allen directly back to the Chargers. During the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Friday, the last benchmark was officially checked off to get Allen back to LA.
The Chicago Bears picked wide receiver Luther Burden with the No. 39 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. By doing so, Chicago gave Allen a clear runway straight back to the team that drafted him over a decade ago.
Keenan Allen's Chargers return all but guaranteed after Bears draft Luther Burden
For context, Allen has said that he will only play in Los Angeles or Chicago moving forward. By taking Burden, the Bears made it official that Allen is not returning to the team. That has long seemed like the most likely possibility and now it is official.
With Davante Adams on the Los Angeles Rams, the only place for Allen to go based on his demands is back to the Chargers. After all, the Chargers did draft Omarion Hampton over wide receiver Matthew Golden, leaving a spot open at wide receiver for Allen.
The Chargers could still select a wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft but that likely won't stop the team from re-signing Allen. A first-round receiver may have derailed a potential signing but at this rate, there is home-run receiver who can come in and have the kind of impact Allen would have.
Plus, Allen's return would be a short-term return. The Chargers could still draft a promising wide receiver with the intention of not playing them much in their rookie season so they could learn behind Allen and Mike Williams. That is in the realm of possibility.
Allen may not be in his prime, but he still has a lot to offer to an NFL offense. Allen's value is even greater in LA because of his rapport with Justin Herbert. It's a perfectly sound strategy for the Chargers to add another weapon Herbert is comfortable throwing to who can get open on third down and in the red zone.
By waiting until after the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chargers ensured that Allen would not count toward the compensatory pick formula for next year while also leaving the door open to take a first-round wideout if someone promising fell.
With the Chargers taking a running back in round one, and the Bears taking Burden in round two, Allen's path back to LA couldn't be clearer.