After the Los Angeles Chargers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston Texans this year, it became clear the team needed to upgrade its receiving corps.
Their attempts to do so fell short, with their most notable addition being Mike Williams, who is coming off an ACL tear from nearly two years ago.
While Williams—once a first-round pick—is no longer in his prime, there was hope he might help attract his former teammate, Keenan Allen, back to the team.
Both star quarterback Justin Herbert and new head coach Jim Harbaugh publicly expressed interest in reuniting with Allen.
However, following the chaos of the NFL Draft, that possibility now appears unlikely.
The first indication came when the Chargers drafted a wide receiver in the second round, signaling they were moving on.
They added another pass catcher on Day 3 of the draft, leaving the receiver room almost completely full.
Even with uncertainty around Quentin Johnston’s future, the arrival of Ladd McConkey and two rookies didn’t entirely close the door on Allen’s return.
But a recent rookie tradition may have delivered the final blow to that hope—Los Angeles assigned jersey numbers to its new players, and Allen’s iconic No. 13 was handed out.
To make matters worse, the number went to undrafted quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.
While a reunion can’t be completely ruled out, the team’s offseason moves and their decision to give away Allen’s number strongly suggest his time with the Chargers is over.
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