Keenan Allen is likely gone this off-season. While keeping the former Pro Bowler would be nice after the connection he formed with Caleb Williams, the truth is he’ll likely want too much money. The Chicago Bears aren’t in a position to throw big cash at depreciating assets. He will likely hit the open market and head back west. The Bears must figure out how to fill the void he leaves behind. D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze will be central options for Williams, but the Bears still need somebody who can work from the slot.
As it turns out, the Jacksonville Jaguars might be preparing to help out. According to ESPN, there is a strong possibility that they will move on from veteran Christian Kirk, who they signed to a lucrative contract a couple of years ago. A broken collarbone, combined with the ascent of Brian Thomas Jr., has made the veteran receiver too expensive to keep. While an unfortunate end for him, it would give the Bears a great opportunity to find some slot help at what would likely be a cheap cost.
It comes down to how healthy he’ll be.
While Kirk isn’t a bad player, he has become a sort of cautionary tale for teams that just want to spend whatever they can to get competent players in their lineup. He was competing for regular work with Rondale Moore in 2021 when he had a career year, at which point the Jags decided to pay Kirk a market-altering deal. His 2022 season was a sign that he could hold up with heavier volume, but it was also the sort of deal that kept Jacksonville from making bigger splashes at positions of need. Good organizations find their Kirks in the draft or even on the waiver wire. Bad organizations pay a premium to find their Kirks because they’re not confident they can develop their own.
Kirk has $16.2 million in unguaranteed money upcoming in the final year of his deal, which is untenable given his recent impact.
Kirk is not Keenan Allen, but he’d still help.
Before last season, the receiver was averaging a respectable 841 yards per year. He is still only 28 years old, and the injury shouldn’t impact his ability to get open. The Bears won’t need him to be the primary guy. He would make a perfect #3-4 option alongside Cole Kmet. Since Jacksonville will still be paying him a lot of money once they part ways, he won’t be inclined to seek a massive payday from somebody else. The Bears can get him at a reasonable deal and likely not see much of a downgrade in productivity from what Keenan Allen gave them last year. It would be a perfect budget move, allowing them to save bigger resources for more pressing positions of need on the lines.
