Keenan Allen may no longer be with the LA Chargers but he still holds a special place in fans' hearts. As one of the greatest wide receivers in franchise history, Allen became a fan favorite over his decade-plus run with the team. The Bolts trading him this offseason was as surprising as it was devastating.
Allen is now a key figure on a young Chicago Bears team that looks like one of the most exciting in the league heading into 2024. Bears fans are going to love what Allen brings to the table, especially if he plays as well as he did in 2023 for the Bolts.
Allen left behind an undeniable legacy with the Chargers that will have him remembered as one of the best wide receivers of this generation. Yet for some reason, Allen still does not receive the same love or respect throughout the league other wideouts have received.
The NFL writers over at CBS Sports recently voted on which current players should make the Pro Football Hall of Fame once they call it quits and Allen earned a resounding no. Allen received just one "yes" vote out of the nine writers who were polled. Meanwhile, Mike Evans earned a yes with seven out of nine votes.
"Allen has put together an impressive career that includes six Pro Bowl nods since 2017. But zero All-Pro nods and good but not great career marks (he's 26th all time in career receptions, 47th in receiving yards and 99th in touchdown catches) would probably result in Allen being left out of Canton if his career ended today.
What Allen does in Chicago will likely determine his future Hall of Fame fate."
Bears WR Keenan Allen snubbed beyond belief despite lasting legacy with Chargers
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a very high barrier of entry. Heck, Antonio Gates could not even get in on his first ballot despite being one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the sport. As great as Allen has been, it is not the worst take in the world to suggest that he has not earned a trip to Canton yet.
That being said, the same standards that apply to Allen should also apply to the other players who are up for a vote. The fact Allen received just one yes vote while Evans received seven yes votes is asinine.
Let's break down some of the numbers, shall we?
Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns | Pro Bowls | All-Pros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Keenan Allen | 904 | 10,530 | 59 | 6 | 0 |
Mike Evans | 762 | 11,680 | 94 | 5 | 0 |
Evans has the advantage in yards and touchdowns but it is not like there is some massive discrepancy between the two players. Evans has also played in 15 more games than Allen, which matters, but explains the difference in receiving yards.
Allen and Evans came into the league around the same time — 2013 and 2014, respectively — and have, for the most part, been right around the same level compared to the rest of the league. Neither gained the mantle of being the best wideout in the league but always felt like underappreciated wideouts who were near the top of the list.
Yet now Evans is receiving his flowers because he won a Super Bowl thanks to Tom Brady while Allen is paying for a lack of team success that was not his fault. It would be one thing if Evans was great in that Super Bowl but he wasn't. He was a nonfactor. That should not weigh in on this decision at all.
In reality, it would be shocking if either wideout got into the Hall of Fame, regardless of what Allen accomplishes after his Chargers tenure. But this shows that because he was on the Bolts, Allen is still one of the most underappreciated players in the league even after being traded to the big-market Bears.