Ryan Poles offers an update on a potential Keenan Allen extension with the Bears

The pursuit of Allen on the open market appeared to be a spur the moment decision once the Bears' front office realized he was available, which puts the upper management behind in terms of ironing out a potential extension, as explained by the Bears' top executive on Monday while fully committing to Allen's future.

"I try to be intentional with the order that we do extensions, so we’ll review that and kind of see what our order looks like," Poles said. "But for what [Allen] stands for, I would love to have him long-term.”

Allen is already set to have the Bears' second-highest cap hit on the team in 2024 and at 31-years-old, it'll be interesting to see what the long-term deal will potentially look like. However, the move to land the veteran wide receiver will pay off in the short-term and hopefully long-term future for the team's next starting quarterback.

"With the trades, Keenan Allen popped up, which was a really cool opportunity for where we're headed, which is going to be with a young quarterback," Poles added. "I thought it was an absolute perfect fit. I don't think there's a better receiver in the league that can be better for a young quarterback in terms of understanding the NFL, timing, space, [and] reading defenses."

The Bears are widely expected to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Having an 11-year seasoned veteran to target in the passing game certainly helps make the adjustment process go much smoother for a rookie quarterback entering the NFL, especially one with Allen's skill set as a receiver.

"I know the ins and outs. I know the zones. I know how to beat man [coverage]. I know how to play the game," Allen said. "So, I just think I'm friendly for the quarterback because I'll be in the right spots. I know how to communicate with him."

During the start of the free agent frenzy, the Bears' front office went out of their way to check in on, and acquire, top offensive talent to surround their incoming rookie quarterback in the best way possible. Allen, however, as been the biggest pull in Ryan Poles' tenure as the team's general manager during the last two years.

"I think that's a great addition," Poles explained. "It balances the field with DJ [Moore] on the other side, Cole [Kmet] and [Gerald] Everett at tight end, [D'Andre] Swift at running back. We have a lot of really cool things that can get going and allow us to be dynamic and really special."

As for the long-term extension with his new offensive weapon, Poles and the Bears don’t appear to be worried about Allen's age being a factor. Allen is coming off a season where he set a career-high with 108 receptions and had over 1,200 receiving yards for the first time since 2017 while playing in just 13 games.

"My time in [Kansas City], I watched [Allen] do some really cool things for a long period of time," Poles said. "And to watch the tape, it actually blew me away of how high of a level he's still playing at his age."

Allen himself believes he can still operate at a high level and having Moore on the same offense will even take some of the pressure off his plate going into the 2024 season with the Bears.

"I think just staying with the process," Allen added. "Always working, always staying in shape. Loving the game, obviously. Being able to approach it every year, the same way and just try to get better at little things."

It didn’t take long for the Bears to agree to a long-term extension with defensive end Montez Sweat after acquiring him ahead of the trade deadline during the 2023 regular season. Which means the Bears' front office can work quite efficiently to lock up a player they feel really confident in, and Allen definitely seems like one of those players.