Will Keenan Allen be cast into Canton?
By: Jake Rajala
The Los Angeles Chargers were flat-out stunned when former Cal WR, Keenan Allen, was available for them to draft in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Allen absolutely proved to be a steal for the Chargers in his first season by recording 1,046 yards and a whopping eight touchdowns. Clearly, Allen had some Antonio Gates spirit in him by defying expectations and ascending to be a star for the Chargers.
In 2017, the crisp route-runner, Allen, made his first Pro Bowl by obtaining 102 catches, 1,393 yards, and six TDs. Furthermore, he won CPOY in the same season (after playing in one game in 2016). Allen also made the PB in 2018, 2019, 2020, and even 2021.
With that said, it’s clear that the Chargers WR1 has been an elite wideout over the past several seasons and one of the best Chargers WRs of all time. So, there’s a grand, enticing question surrounding the illustrious WR: Is Keenan Allen a future Hall of Famer?
If Allen retired today, I don’t believe he would deserve to be cast into Canton. However, he has been a beacon of consistent dominance since 2017. If he can garner two-three more Pro Bowls, he should have enough production and top-end seasons to receive a gold jacket. Allen was a bit of a late bloomer, so he didn’t start clocking Pro Bowl seasons until his fifth NFL season. Nonetheless, he is on the right path with the mega-arm QB Justin Herbert to register a few more prolific seasons.
Similar to Michael Thomas and other elite WRs, his biggest flaw has been injury habits, but Chargers fans know all too well that he has the work ethic to bounce back after dealing with injuries. In 2022, Allen is currently MIA with a hamstring injury. He should be able to return within a few contests & reach for the stars in the frigid AFC West division.
