The LA Chargers traded Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick this past offseason and the trade has not been overly great for either side. Allen has not been the same guy with the Bears while the Chargers have a serious weapons problem without a star receiver.
This lack of weapons could lead the Chargers to trade for a veteran wideout to essentially replace Allen's spot on the depth chart. Meanwhile, if the Bears keep going in the wrong direction and Allen is not producing then he very well could be traded a second time.
League rules prevent the Chargers from trading back for Allen so that possibility is out of the equation. If Allen is traded, though, the door could be open for him to return to the AFC West in the worst way imaginable.
Names I just mentioned on @gmfb who are at least worth calling on, if you're Brett Veach in KC:
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) September 30, 2024
-- Amari Cooper
-- Jalin Hyatt
-- Cooper Kupp
-- Keenan Allen
KC's down their RB1, WR1, WR2 for the forseaable future. Fascinating few days for the 2-time defending champs.
Chiefs trading for Keenan Allen would be legitimately heartbreaking for Chargers fans
It is harder to think of anything that would be worse for Chargers fans than to see Allen with the Kansas City Chiefs. While every Chargers fan should want to see Allen succeed outside of Los Angeles, fans do not want to see it happen in Kansas City.
Allen joining the dark side would be as painful for fans as effective as it would be for the Chiefs. Allen may not be an athletic specimen but he is still one of the best route runners in the sport. Allen's elite route running mixed with Andy Reid's play-calling and Patrick Mahomes' talent would be a dynamite recipe.
Kansas City needs to add receiver help with Rashee Rice likely out for the year with a possible torn ACL. As Peter Schrager mentions above, Allen could make sense for Kansas City under these circumstances.
The Chiefs are strapped for cash with only $4.9 million in cap space so trading for Allen would be a daunting task. However, it is possible. The Chiefs can create upwards of $83.9 million in cap space with simple restructures, which is the seventh most in the league. Kansas City obviously would not need to create all that space for Allen alone but it shows the team has the means to make it work.
The Chiefs would be on the hook for Allen's remaining base salary, which is $18.1 million. If Kansas City were to trade for Allen on the November 5th trade deadline they would be on the hook for nine games, which would roughly be a $9.58 million cap hit.
It is plausible for Kansas City to make this happen and that is terrifying for Chargers fans. Chargers fans already felt betrayed when Allen was tweeting about the Chiefs while a member of the Chargers. Him joining the dark side would be even worse.
And while it is not the most plausible outcome this NFL season, it certainly is possible.