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Wide receiver Keenan Allen of Chicago Bears.
Several players in the Chicago Bears locker room are already itching for a do-over on a 2024 season that will be defined by close losses, late-game coaching mistakes and a sense of what might have been.
Among them is wide receiver DJ Moore, who has begun campaigning teammate Keenan Allen to return to the roster in 2025 for what could be a vastly more successful campaign if Chicago hires the right coaching staff and plugs its obvious roster holes through the draft and free agency — namely the along the offensive line.
Allen spoke with media members on Saturday, December 6, and said that Moore asked him flat out to “run it back” next year. A reporter followed up, asking Allen if returning to the Bears was something he wants to do.
“Yeah,” Moore responded. “Absolutely.”
Keenan Allen May Prove too Pricey for Bears to Re-Sign
GettyChicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Unfortunately, it’s not going to be so simple for any of the parties involved.
Moore is on the final year of an $80.1 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in March heading into his age-33 season. Receiver is the NFL position that has seen the greatest jump in general need and the reflecting pay scale over the past couple of seasons, and Allen will certainly look for the best offer as he attempts to cash in one last time in his career — even if the next deal he signs won’t be the last one before his retirement.
Spotrac projects Moore’s market value at $16.6 million annually (more than $33 million in total) over a new two-year contract. The Bears can afford that if a third high-end receiver is where they decide to spend their money, as the team has a projected cap of $82.2 million heading into 2025.
However, the problem with paying Allen that money to “run it back” is that doing so will drastically decrease Chicago’s ability to fix its issues on the offensive line, which is necessary to make a return to the roster worth it for both Allen and the team.
Bears Must Focus on Offensive Line, Other Flaws During Offseason
GettyChicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
General manager Ryan Poles kept his job, despite his initial head coaching hire Matt Eberflus losing his on the Friday after Thanksgiving following yet another heartbreaking loss in the final seconds of a contest, this time to the NFC North Division-leading Detroit Lions.
Poles has done a solid job with the organizational rebuild over the past three years, though some national analysts have rightfully criticized a relative lack of attention to the offensive line. He needs to address that flaw specifically, if for no other reason than to protect the franchise’s top investment — No. 1 overall pick and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Some of that criticism came in the context of trading a fourth-rounder to the Los Angeles Chargers for Allen and taking on the wideout’s sizable salary cap hit rather than using that pick and the subsequent money to add a couple of solid pieces to the offensive line.
Poles must address the O-line’s deficiencies and select the appropriate head coach this offseason or he will risk losing his job as well.
The Bears already have Moore and rookie Rome Odunze under contract for several years, the latter at a great value if he plays up to the level of the top-10 pick the team spent on him in April. As such, bringing back Allen probably doesn’t make sense unless its at a number so low that the six-time Pro Bowl receiver isn’t likely to accept the deal.
