"There's two sides to the story": Keenan Allen gets brutally honest on potentially joining Steelers and playing with Aaron Rodgers
Keenan Allen's best days might be behind him, but the veteran wide receiver can still be a contributor for any team in the NFL. After spending the 2024 season with the Chicago Bears, he's now a free agent and can sign with any team.
With free agency and the draft done, adding strong options to your team isn't possible. Finding cheap pieces who can contribute for a season is now the name of the game; Allen, who's 33, fits that bill perfectly, especially for teams that need a stop-gap wide receiver.
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys and signed Aaron Rodgers last week. While the idea of adding Allen to play with Rodgers may sound exciting, it's not going to happen. The wide receiver himself shut down those rumors:
"There's two sides to the story. [Aaron Rodgers] being the quarterback — of course that interests you. But Pittsburgh? No." Keenan told streamer JGoofy on TikTok.
Keenan Allen's reason for not playing for the Steelers is unclear. The franchise has not won a playoff game since 2016, but Pittsburgh has been a regular presence in the playoffs, making the postseason in four of the past five seasons.
Keenan Allen previously said he would only play in Chicago or Los Angeles
In November, before the end of the 2024 season, the wide receiver commented about his future.
Keenan said that, if he decides to play in 2025, it would be in Chicago (returning to the Bears) or in Los Angeles (reuniting with the Chargers or signing with the Rams).
He also said in January that if he returns to the Bears, he would think about moving his family to Illinois.
"I have to talk it over with the wife and the kids to see what they want to do."
The Chargers have already made an important wide receiver reunion. They signed Mike Williams, Keenan's teammate from 2017 to 2023.
Keenan Allen did not impress during the 2024 season. He had just 67 receptions for 719 yards with the Chicago Bears, and the team decided against signing him to a contract extension after trading with the Los Angeles Chargers to acquire him during the previous offseason.