Chargers’ Keenan Allen has defied odds his entire 13-year career, and he’s not done yet

LOS ANGELES — In a sport dominated by some of the world’s fastest and strongest humans, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is neither.

That was evident during the 2013 NFL draft process for Allen, a 6-foot-2, 211-pounder whom many analysts considered the top receiver. But Allen had suffered a season-ending PCL injury in his final season at the University of California. He ran a 4.71-second 40-yard dash at his pro day — well behind Marquise Goodwin’s 4.27 time that led receivers at the combine.

Chargers wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal, then in the same role with the New York Jets, said he remembers the concerns around Allen.

He was one of the most productive receivers in college — Allen still holds the school record for receptions (205) and is third in yards (2,570) — but there was a collective fascination with how effective he would be in the NFL because of his middling physical traits, Lal said: «You’re like, well, how’d he do it?» Those concerns, combined with his injury, dropped Allen to the third round, where the Chargers selected him with overall pick No. 76.

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Thirteen seasons, six Pro Bowls and a bevy of NFL records later, many are still fascinated by Allen’s productivity.

«His ability to snap down to like get close to get open is unbelievable,» Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp said of Allen on the «Games With Names» podcast. «He would run hitch routes against press, and he’d get open even though they never throw a go ball.»

Most receivers begin to decline — if they haven’t already — at Allen’s age. At 33, however, he remains productive, leading the Chargers in receptions (50) and ranking second in yards (520) this season.

If you ask Allen, comparing him to other receivers who have declined at his age doesn’t make much sense because he never relied on elite physical traits: «I don’t have a step to lose,» he says.

The Chargers will continue to lean on Allen against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, where he’ll need just two catches to break tight end Antonio Gates’ franchise record for career receptions (NBC/Peacock, 8:20 p.m. ET).

«I’m able to run full speed because my full speed isn’t Tyreek Hill or Ja’Marr Chase or something like that,» he said. «So I can use my speed to my ability and still stop on a dime.»

Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack had four of the five highest non-quarterback salary cap hits in the league at the time. Allen’s $34.7 million hit made it likely that the Chargers would look to restructure his deal, trade him or release him.

League rules required the Chargers to be under the $255.4 million cap by 4 p.m. ET on March 13. So they released Williams that day, saving $20 million in 2024, which made them cap-compliant. And Mack and Bosa agreed to take pay cuts that saved the Chargers nearly $24 million.

So Los Angeles didn’t necessarily need to ask Allen to take a pay cut, but it did anyway. The two sides couldn’t agree on an adjusted contract, and the Chargers traded Allen to the Bears for a fourth-round pick (No. 110) on March 14. In Allen’s first news conference in Chicago, he told reporters that there was «no emotion» in his decision not to take a pay cut to remain in L.A.

Caleb Williams. Allen was expected to add to an offense that could be among the league’s best. But it didn’t go that way. Allen didn’t come close to the stats he had in 2023, though was still effective, finishing 744 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bears finished 5-12, last in the NFC North.

«It was up and down,» Allen said. «Obviously, a rookie, so [Williams] had to learn the offense, learn the NFL, learn how things were run and how things were supposed to go.»

It was also the first time since college that Allen had lived alone. His wife and four children stayed in Los Angeles while he lived in a three-bedroom home in Chicago.

«It was tough, quiet. Not used to the quiet,» Allen said. «Just pretty much playing the game by myself.»

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FOR THE CHARGERS, the Allen trade paid dividends. They used the pick to trade up with the New England Patriots in the second round to select wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who broke many of Allen’s rookie receiving records. L.A. finished last season 11-5 but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Houston Texans.

The Bears didn’t extend Allen, and he became a free agent. Throughout the offseason, his return to the Chargers seemed increasingly unlikely.

L.A. brought Williams back after he spent a season with the Steelers, and the Chargers drafted rookie wide receivers Tre’ Harris (second round) and KeAndre Lambert-Smith (fifth round). But after Williams’ abrupt retirement, the Chargers brought Allen back on a one-year deal for $3.02 million in August.

The deal was much smaller than Allen had anticipated and much less than the Chargers had offered him the year before. Allen said at his first news conference with the Chargers that he «felt he got a little downplayed» in free agency, which put a figurative chip on his shoulder.

Allen said he appreciated the motivation, but «not for this cheap.»

«Last offseason, you look around the league, the guys that were getting deals, I felt like I did a little bit better than those guys for the most part,» he said. «Even the year before Chicago. It’s probably an age thing, whatever it is. I don’t know.»

In Week 5 of this season, Allen became the fastest receiver in NFL history to reach 1,000 catches.

Quentin Johnston, who also played with Allen as a rookie in 2023.

«I done seen him cook somebody in the walk-through,» Johnston said. «Like, ‘Bro, we walking.’ How did you even do that?'»

Allen has been particularly impactful for the Chargers on third downs this season. He earned the nickname «third-and-Keenan» from safety Derwin James Jr. for his reliability in those scenarios. Allen leads the NFL in targets (29) and receptions (19) and receiving first downs on third down (17).

As the wide receiver coach in Seattle during 2022-23, Lal coached DK Metcalf, a 6-3, 228-pound receiver with 4.3 speed. Allen is on the other end of the spectrum. But Lal said Allen has evident physical gifts beyond just his nifty footwork.

Lal compared Allen’s explosive route running to that of Amari Cooper, who could get significant distance on each step that others couldn’t. Lal said Allen’s explosiveness isn’t evident on film, so when he gets open, it can be confusing because of how simple it looks. But when Lal began coaching Allen, he realized how much power and speed were actually going into each move.

«You can’t replicate that. He’s super explosive,» Lal said. «He might not have the 4.3 40-yard dash badge on his name, but as far as twitch goes, he’s elite. So he is physically gifted. He’s not just some guy who has all these moves.»

And yet, when Lal watches Allen get 3 yards of separation running the same route another player got zero space on, he’s still left with the same question he had 12 years ago: «How’d he do it?»