Ryan Poles made a blockbuster trade this offseason, acquiring Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen for the low price of a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
But, there's one problem. Allen, 32, has one more year on his contract.
How do the Bears plan to handle Allen's contract situation?
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"We're just gonna keep it moving through the season and see how everything plays out," Ryan Poles said on ESPN 1000. "There isn't a sense of urgency there right now. But we'll see kinda how everything unfolds as we get into the season.
"We have a good relationship with the agent and we've had some conversations I'll keep private. But both sides are in a good spot."
Allen brings a $23.1 million cap hit with him to Chicago this season. He has the upcoming season left on his deal before he enters unrestricted free agency next summer.
Bears News
Of course, Allen doesn't want to take a pay cut, which ESPN reported both the Bears and Chargers asked him to do separately. That makes sense, considering he executed arguably the best season of his career last year. Allen finished the year with 1,243 receiving yards and eight touchdowns --- both of which are single-season bests for Allen's career.
According to the ESPN report, the Chargers tried to negotiate a pay cut to keep Allen on the team. Allen and his agent declined and proposed a counteroffer. The Chargers declined and opted to trade him to the Bears, who also asked him to take a pay cut for an extension.
Allen was "stunned and hurt" by the trade and the Chargers' unwillingness to negotiate, per the ESPN report. The Chargers were home to Allen for 11 seasons. With them, Allen earned Rookie of the Year honors, Comeback Player of the Year and six Pro Bowl nods.
The Bears want to see how Allen plays in Chicago first before handing him a lucrative deal. However, should the Bears and Allen fail to get something done, it will undoubtedly be chalked up as a failure for the Bears, who traded a draft pick to acquire him.
But that conversation remains down the road. For now, it's hard to believe the Bears have Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze as their receiver corps.
And Poles can't believe it, either.
"That's what makes this job so fun," Poles said. "I think the key thing is the flexibility. When you structure contracts the right way, when you limit dead money, when you show some patience and you try to build things the right way, when unique opportunities pop up you're able to really jump on them. That flexibility and ability to adapt and just keep adding to your roster is really fun."