Keenan Allen admits he was always going back to Chargers... so what about 2026?

Keenan Allen is a Los Angeles Chargers legend. The former third-round pick has carved out an extensive, productive career that's included multiple Pro Bowls and plenty of 1,000-yard seasons.

Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears last offseason in an attempt to fix the salary cap mess left behind by the previous regime. After one year away, Allen made his way back to the Chargers in 2025 and has been productive once again. Through 10 games, he has 52 catches for 539 yards and four touchdowns.

The Chargers' star will be 34 next year but certainly isn't playing like it. Allen is still one of the best technical route runners in the game and has surefire hands, which is appreciated by Justin Herbert.

Allen recently admitted that he was going to find his way back to the Chargers one way or another.

Chargers WR Keenan Allen on if the record means more not knowing if he'd be back after his year in Chicago: "I was gonna do whatever I could to come back."
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) November 10, 2025

Keenan Allen was always going to return to LA

Allen signed a team-friendly one year deal this year worth $3.02 million. Now comes the question: should the Chargers bring him back for another year?

The easy answer is yes and most fans would say that. The Bolts should definitely re-sign Allen after the season, as he's still proven to be productive despite his age and has been the perfect mentor for a rather young receiver room.

The "downside" of this is that the Chargers' newer wideouts in Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith would have to wait even longer for their shot to be difference-makers. Still, that shouldn't deter the Chargers from bringing back a franchise legend, one that still helps them win games at that.

There's still time for them to figure it out, but Allen should be in a Chargers uniform once again in 2026.

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