Keenan Allen had over 700 receiving yards in 2024 with the Bears.
The Arizona Cardinals have not done much with their wide receiver room this offseason. They re-signed Zay Jones and Greg Dortch. They signed Simi Fehoko, a player few people know. They did not draft a receiver.
Many feel they need to do more at the position and with many veteran receivers still unsigned, it leads to speculation.
One veteran receiver who has had a fantastic career was matched with the Cardinals.
Some of the top available free agents were matched with a team considered the best fit for them.
The Cardinals were matched with Keenan Allen.
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. 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. 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.
Allen is certainly a reliable target. But averaging 10.6 yards per reception in 2024, a full yard below his career average, and having a drop rate (5.0%) 1.3% higher than his career average (3.7%), what role would he have at age 33?
Would he be taking away targets from Harrison and McBride?
The Cardinals don’t necessarily need replacement production. They need added production, players getting open more often.
Quarterback Kyler Murray believes the Cardinals are good at receiver. Would the Cardinals be a good fit for Allen? Potentially, yes. He could immediately be a starter.
Would he be a good fit for the Cardinals? On paper, it makes sense. But either he isn’t interested in the Cardinals or the Cardinals aren’t interested in him. Otherwise he would be here.
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