Jaylon Johnson got his contract extension. For obvious reasons (health), Teven Jenkins won’t get his until after the coming season. Only two players remain who are viable topics for a new deal. Keenan Allen is one. He’s on the last year of the contract the Chicago Bears inherited from the Los Angeles Chargers. Both sides have expressed interest in talking about a new deal, but early signs indicate they might be far apart on money. Besides, the latest whispers suggest GM Ryan Poles is more focused on a different receiver. That is DJ Moore.
The 27-year-old was outstanding in 2023, going over 1300 yards with eight touchdowns. Unlike Allen, he has already proved that he can play at a high level in Chicago and is four years younger. Though the Bears still have two years remaining on his current contract, they are motivated to get an extension done sooner rather than later. The explosion of the wide receiver market is likely pushing the urgency. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, there is even an area in the calendar to watch for a possible resolution.
“The topic has surely been broached by Moore and the team by this point, and there’s no rush to get a new deal done. File this away for late in training camp or perhaps early in the regular season, but Poles probably believes he needs to address Moore’s situation before considering any other contractual issues with veteran players.”
DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are the future.
Keeping Allen would be nice, but only if he’s willing to work out a more favorable deal to the Bears’ salary cap. If he’s looking for the maximum money possible, and all indications so far say this is the case, they will almost certainly let him walk in free agency. They should be able to secure a compensatory draft pick once he signs elsewhere. Meanwhile, they will have Moore and 9th overall pick as a strong tandem for Caleb Williams moving forward. This was likely Poles’ plan all along.
The challenge is determining what kind of money it will take to satisfy DJ Moore. Based on where the numbers are trending, it will likely fall somewhere around $30+ million per year. It would have to be $28 million, at the very least. Chicago has no issue with this. They have their quarterback on an affordable rookie deal for the next four years. They can manage a hefty payday for one of the best receivers in football. His presence on and off the field is a huge part of their growth as a team. You keep those guys.
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If Moore requires $30m+, then Allen is most likely gone.
You forgot about Braxton Jones as well. Especially if he plays well this year….. unless they are eventually planning on replacing him with the 3rd rounder from Yale.
Pretty crazy where the WR market is. Pretty much in line with Edge at this point. Every player deserves theirs. It’s just harder to find a guy that can get you 10+ sacks annually than a player that can get you 1000 yards. Going to take some getting used to when talking about receivers near $30 million.