Bear Digest

Stunning Ranking for Keenan Allen Compared to Other Top Receivers

The NFL Top 100 list apparently doesn't have a problem with receivers who have reached their 30s as Keenan Allen commanded respect with a high ranking.
Gene Chamberlain|
Keenan Allen might be into his 30s now but NFL players respected him enough to vote him high in the top 100 list.
Keenan Allen might be into his 30s now but NFL players respected him enough to vote him high in the top 100 list. | Photo: Chicago Bears Video

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Chicago Bears

Apparently Keenan Allen's past production still means something at age 32.

Coming off a career-best 108-catch season with the Chargers, the Bears wide receiver gained a high spot on the NFL media top 100 player list. He came in at No. 51 even while he was entirely omitted on some other similar lists.

Not to diminish the skills of Allen, whose route running and ability to pull in about any type of pass is unquestioned. But this poll of players done every year by NFL.com and NFL Network has Stefon Diggs ranked No. 56. Ask Bears fans whether they'd rather have Diggs or Allen and the chances are very good Allen does not poll as more popular.

In fact, Allen came in ranked higher than Jaylen Waddle (No. 63), Brandon Aiyuk (66), Cooper Kupp (69) and Amari Cooper (70) among wide receivers.

"At times in 2023, it felt as if Allen might have been the only wide receiver on the field catching passe for the Chargers, such was his dominance and status as Justin Herbert's preferred target," wrote NFL.com's Coral Smith. "Allen had 1,243 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, both the second-best totals in his career. His 150 targets and 108 receptions were double those of any of his teammates and both ranked top 10 in the league."

Allen, in fact, pulls down a more elite spot than Montez Sweat (82) on this list. Sweat obviously had a tremendous impact on the Bears defense last year after he came over from Washington.

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Still to be revealed are whether DJ Moore or Jaylon Johnson rank among the top 50 players as NFL.com counts down.

Allen did not make top three receivers in the NFC North in a vote of On Si site publishers from the division.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.