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It is a happy reunion in the City of Angels after the Los Angeles Chargers signed wide receiver Keenan Allen to a one-year deal on Tuesday. Allen is very familiar with the Chargers, having spent the first 11 seasons of his career with them.
The addition of Allen deepened the Chargers' receiving corps, which also features sophomore Ladd McConkey and the much-improved Quentin Johnston. The 33-year-old Allen is expected to regain his old starting spot since he already knows the system.
Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz is elated to have the veteran leader back in the fold, expressing his excitement for the potential of the pairing of Allen and McConkey.
“You get good players on the field, and you play them. You can get creative with a lot of different players,” said Hortiz, as quoted by The Athletic's Daniel Popper.
The Chargers traded Allen to the Chicago Bears in 2024 in exchange for a fourth-round pick in that year's draft. In his lone stint in the Windy City, the six-time Pro Bowler tallied 70 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns.
Now back in Los Angeles, Allen has the chance to further cement his legacy. He has the second-most receiving yards in team history with 10,530, trailing only team icon Antonio Gates, who was recently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The 23-year-old McConkey, meanwhile, had an impressive rookie campaign. He recorded 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. The 34th overall pick set a rookie record for most receiving yards in a single postseason game after tallying 197 in their loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.
The Chargers are loaded with wide receivers, with Dez Fitzpatrick, Jaylen Johnson, JaQuae Jackson, Luke Grimm, and Dalevon Campbell also fighting for a roster spot. But based on Hortiz's remark, it looks like Allen and McConkey are already part of the team's vision.
