Keenan Allen’s Agent Refutes Chargers GM on Contract Offers Before Bears Trade
Julia StumbaughMarch 22, 2024
Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Keenan Allen’s agent refuted a claim by Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz that the Chargers offered their star wide receiver several contract options before trading him to the Chicago Bears.
Hortiz said Thursday the Chargers offered Allen “multiple different options and just none of them worked out,” per Eric Smith of Chargers.com.
Joby Branion, whom Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio identified as Allen’s agent, challenged Hortiz’s comments with a response to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper on X.
Joby Branion @jobybranionTo be clear, only one offer was made. It was a pay cut for 2024 with a 2-year extension (and both years had even deeper cuts to his current pay). We made a counter offer. It was rejected. Then we were informed of the #Chargers intention to trade @Keenan13Allen.
“To be clear, only one offer was made,” Branion wrote. “It was a pay cut for 2024 with a two-year extension (and both years had even deeper cuts to his current pay).”
Allen is currently set to cost $23.1 million against the cap in 2024.
The wide receiver’s camp made a counteroffer, which was rejected, before being informed of the team’s plan to trade him, Branion added.
Allen was then dealt to the Bears on March 14 in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Branion’s response matches comments by Allen at his introductory press conference with the Bears, during which he said the Chargers traded him after he refused a pay cut, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
“It really was no emotion, it was ‘I’m not doing it,'” Allen said Saturday. “I’m not doing it. I just came off my best season, so it’s not happening.”
Allen hauled in a career-high 108 receptions for 1,243 yards in 13 starts for the Chargers last season during his sixth career Pro Bowl campaign.
A 2013 third-round pick by the Chargers, Allen leaves the franchise ranked second in team history with 10,530 career receiving yards in 11 seasons.
