Ex-Bears $80 million star loosely linked to NFC foe

The big wave of free agent signings across the National Football League has already come and pass but there's a big-name former member of the Chicago Bears still available on the open market.

Former Bears receiver Keenan Allen is still available after his four-year, $80.1 million deal expired this offseason. It's unclear where he will land, but NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha floated the Arizona Cardinals as a potential fit.

"There are plenty of teams who need veteran help at wide receiver, but Allen fits in Arizona because the Cardinals must unlock all the potential in Marvin Harrison Jr., who was the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft," Chadiha said. "Arizona leaned on young players like Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch to work with Harrison at receiver in 2024. That’s not going to get it done, not for a team that displayed flashes of being closer to a playoff team than anybody imagined at this time last year.

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"The 33-year-old Allen isn’t the same player he was in his prime -- he had four 100-catch seasons in the previous five years before being traded to Chicago in 2024 -- but he still knows how to operate from the slot. He delivered solid production with the Bears (70 receptions, 744 yards and seven touchdowns), and he can give quarterback Kyler Murray another dependable target to go along with tight end Trey McBride."

An offense featuring Allen, Harrison, and McBride would be pretty solid on paper right now with Kyler Murray under center. Allen hasn't gotten much buzz but he surely will get an opportunity somewhere in the not-so-distant future.

More NFL: Could Bears add 26-year-old 905-yard star in free agency?