The Chicago Bears traded DJ Moore to clear cap space and pave the way for wideouts Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III to elevate into top offensive roles, but the backend of the wide receiver room is now missing some depth.
Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron suggested the Bears add an inexpensive option to fill out the position group via an X post on Saturday, May 2.
“The #Bears could use a veteran WR to compete for a roster spot with their thin depth,” Infante wrote.
Some cheap free agents available:
• Noah Brown • Sterling Shepard • Tim Patrick • Gabriel Davis • Chris Moore • Curtis Samuel • Josh Reynolds • Braxton Berrios
He went on to mention options like Gabe Davis, Curtis Samuel and Noah Brown — all of whom Spotrac projects to earn around $2 million, or less, next season.
Infante mentioned in the comments that his suggestion is for Chicago to add a player who might compete for the WR5/6 spot on the roster.
However, if the Bears can get a WR5 for $2 million, it might be worth it to the team to consider adding an upgrade at WR3 for just a little bit more. And as it happens, former Chicago pass-catcher Keenan Allen remains a free agent after playing on a $3 million deal for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025.
Keenan Allen Was Top-2 WR for Bears in 2024
GettyWide receiver Keenan Allen, formerly of the Chicago Bears.
General manager Ryan Poles traded a fourth-round pick to L.A. to acquire Allen in 2024.
Due to a nagging heel injury, Allen was not able to replicate the form of any of his six Pro-Bowl seasons, including the most recent one he produced in 2023. Still, he led Chicago’s offense in receiving touchdowns with seven and finished second on the roster with tallies of 70 receptions and 744 yards.
Allen returned to the Chargers in 2025 and produced 81 catches for 777 yards and four scores. Spotrac projects his market value at $6.8 million in 2026, though there is potential Chicago could negotiate that price down closer to the $3 million he made last year by offering the WR a spot on an ascending offense/playoff team.
Bears Only Team Keenan Allen Has Every Played for Aside From Chargers
GettyWide receiver Keenan Allen, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Chicago doesn’t have a clearcut WR3, though there are some candidates.
The Bears brought over Kalif Raymond from the Detroit Lions on a one-year deal for $3.5 million after he caught 24 passes for 289 yards and one score in 2025.
Jahdae Walker, an undrafted rookie in 2025, is also on the roster, while Poles drafted speedster Zavion Thomas late in Round 3 last weekend — between two and three rounds sooner than most analysts had the LSU product coming off the board.
Head coach Ben Johnson runs a good deal of 12 personnel, which includes offensive sets with two tight ends. The run on the TE position in this year’s draft, including Chicago’s selection of Sam Roush out of Stanford at No. 69 early in Round 3, indicates a league-wide shift toward more 13 personnel (three-tight end sets) in 2026 — and the Bears figure to be a part of that.
That said, Chicago could do worse than to roster Allen as a WR3 given his explosiveness and physicality across the first two levels of the defense, along with elite hands on a big target that make him an ideal target on possession-extending pass downs.
Allen has played just one season outside of L.A./San Diego. That, plus his migration back after one year in Chicago, would indicate his preference to remain in Southern California.
But the Bears represent the only other organization he’s ever known, and Poles showed faith in him by assuming an expensive final season of his contract while dealing a fourth-round pick for his services.
Thus, if Allen is going to pick another team besides the Chargers in free agency, Chicago makes sense if Johnson sees a role for him and Poles can clear the cap space.
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