Father Time looked to be circling Keenan Allen at the start of the season.
The 32-year-old receiver, acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Chargers on March 14 for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, underwhelmed in the season opener and then missed two consecutive games.
It was the dreaded soft tissue injury, too. Plantar fasciitis is a nagging bout of inflammation in the tissue between the heel and toes.
Everyone has their own remedy. There’s the special shoe inserts, roll the golf ball under the arch of your foot, foam roll the calves, stretch or ice.
But, the best treatment?
Stay off your feet. It's not exactly part of the job description for an NFL receiver who has to keep their cardiovascular endurance up, run crisp routes, cut with the precision of a tailor to get open and both avoid and absorb tackles from 11 guys on defense tracking you down.
Those two weeks off, though, they seem to have pushed the hour hands back on the clock that looked like it was ticking towards midnight last week when the Bears toppled the Jaguars in London.
If he can stay healthy, this is the perfect landing spot for Allen as he heads into the back 9 of his career.
He had five receptions on five targets. A modest 42 yards with his longest catch going for 11 yards. But, it was the two touchdowns and the way they came that resonated.
With a wide catch radius and veteran moxie, Allen ran the corner fade and caught a pass Caleb Williams delivered that only he could catch. Back shoulder over the middle where the moment he turned his head, a fastball from Williams hit him right in the hands might be the best pass a Bears’ quarterback has thrown since - well,
there’s not a play that immediately comes to mind which illustrates the precision involved.
Who benefits from Keenan Allen?
Williams has taken to using the word comfy to describe his acclimation to the Bears’ offense.
Like that heavy blanket pulled up tight during a cold winter night, Allen is that security blanket for Williams. The big target that can get open in a phone booth, sneak between the linebackers and safety, or slip a handsy corner and be open right when the rush is about to hit.
Defenders know the resume, too. Over 10,000 receiving yards and 61 touchdowns. They’ll know where he is which opens things up for Cole Kmet, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
Next year, Allen is an unrestricted free agent. Odunze can be an understudy. He’s an inch taller, four pounds lighter, and 10 years younger.
There’s gas in the tank before Allen passes that torch, though, and it looks like he’s just getting revved up this year.
It’s a bye week. Please, take some time off your feet Keenan.
