Wide receiver issues abound for the San Francisco 49ers. With their depth chart looking bleak, they may need to make another addition. It seems like an obvious move for the team to sign veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen.
With Jauan Jennings wanting a new contract, Demarcus Robinson dealing with a potential suspension, and both Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall dealing with injuries, it has seemed like San Francisco needs to make a significant addition to their wide receiver room.
They have signed some depth options as of late, but why not take a bigger swing by signing a veteran talent like Allen?
The long-time Charger is still available in free agency and is coming off a solid year with the Chicago Bears. In 15 games, he hauled in 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. Even at the age of 33, it is clear he still has something left in the tank.
Team beat reporter Matt Barrows said he thinks the Niners signing Allen makes quite a bit of sense on a recent podcast. Barrows noted that Allen played college football at Cal and spent all of those years with the Chargers, so he may not be opposed to a return to California.
There are reports that multiple teams are interested in Allen right now. Any team in need of some help at wide receiver must be looking at him and thinking about how he could bolster their offense.
The 49ers are seen as a potential landing spot for Allen as well as fellow free-agent veteran Amari Cooper.
While it makes sense on paper, signing Allen would go against general manager John Lynch's oft-stated desire for the team to get younger and cheaper in 2025. Insiders have believed the Niners are just not going to splurge on a free agent this year as a matter of principle.
Maybe the 49ers are content to roll with a younger crop of receivers like Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, and Terique Owens. There are bound to be growing pains, but perhaps San Francisco is willing to live with that rather than having to splurge on a premier name.
Still, one cannot help but feel a little bit antsy about the state of the team's wide receiver situation.
Perhaps everything will work itself out in the end, but signing a proven veteran like Allen to a one-year deal would do a lot to assuage concerns going into the season.
