Charger Report

Will Chargers' second-round pick of Tre Harris ruin reunion with Keenan Allen?

The Los Angeles Chargers have been waiting to make a move on former Bolt Keenan Allen. Could the 2nd Round draft selection of WR Tre Harris slam the door on a possible reunion?
Brian Letscher|
Dec 10, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) singles to the referees.
Dec 10, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen (13) singles to the referees. | Yannick Peterhans-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles ChargersChicago Bears

The Los Angeles Chargers, in clear need of help at wide receiver, selected Ole Miss pass catcher Tre Harris with the 56th pick in the NFL draft. While Charger fans should be celebrating their new weapon for Justin Herbert, it could also slam the door on a reunion with one of their most beloved former players, Keenan Allen.

Allen has definitely made it known that he is either playing with the Bears or the Chargers next season, no one else. This sparked all sorts of speculation about the Chargers making a move -- but they didn't. The likely reason? If the Chargers wait until after the 2025 NFL Draft to grab Allen, then he does not count toward the compensatory pick formula for next year.

Jim Harbaugh
Jan 15, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh at a press conference at The Bolt. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first and second rounds of the draft have definitely cast some gray area on that plan. First, the Bears took WR Luther Burden III with the 39th pick (2nd Round) which, given an otherwise strong WR corp, seems to say bye-bye Allen. Then the Chargers took Harris.

Tre Harris
Sep 21, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) runs after a catch for a touchdown. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Harris is a big, fast playmaker who is only getting better. At 6’3”, 210 pounds, the First-Team All-SEC speedster (4.54 40 yard dash) caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He's an excellent outside compliment to 2nd year sensation Ladd McKonkey and gives the Chargers a big-bodied, explosive weapon for Herbert. In short, a young Keenan Allen.

There may, however, be some middle ground. If the Bears don't really want Allen, he could make a short-term return to the Chargers. Entering his 12th season, Allen is certainly not in his prime. He would, however, serve as reliable red-zone presence for Herbert and an excellent mentor to a young Harris.

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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