Patriots Urged to Bolster Receiver Room With Six-Time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen

Patriots Urged to Bolster Receiver Room With Six-Time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The New England Patriots' wide receiver room has experienced a massive overhaul this past offseason.

While some contributors like Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, and Ja'Lynn Polk remain, the Patriots have acquired four new wideouts who could find themselves on the 53-man roster by the end of training camp. Chief among them is Stefon Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowler recovering from a torn ACL last season. But they also added Mack Hollins via free agency, used a third-round draft pick on Kyle Williams, and signed Efton Chism III as an undrafted rookie.

Could the Patriots make one more wide receiver splash before their regular season begins on Sept. 7? One NFL reporter thinks they should.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox considers Keenan Allen, who most recently played for the Chicago Bears, to be among the top free agents still available on the market. He believes the Patriots are a franchise that could benefit from his signing, especially with the veteran leadership he can provide to a young signal caller like Drake Maye.

"Wide receiver Keenan Allen may not be the top-tier playmaker he once was, but he showed last season that he's still a capable high-volume pass-catcher. Despite playing in a lackluster Chicago Bears offense with a rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams, Allen still managed to catch 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns," Knox wrote.

"Allen would be a sensible target for the New England Patriots, who are looking to develop second-year quarterback Drake Maye and who lead the NFL in remaining camp space. The Patriots did sign Stefon Diggs to be their new WR1, but they could afford to double down on seasoned veteran receivers."

Allen has been among the most prolific receivers of the 2010s and 2020s, logging six 1,000-yard seasons over the course of his 12-year NFL career. In addition to making six Pro Bowl rosters, he was also named the league's Comeback Player of the Year in 2017, when he gained a career-high 1,393 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns the season after tearing his ACL.

Overall, Allen has 974 receptions, 11,274 receiving yards, and 66 receiving touchdowns to his name across 154 appearances, including 149 starts.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.