Chargers News: How Extending Keenan Allen Could Help LA's Dire Cap Situation

The six-time Pro Bowler has certainly earned it.

Your Los Angeles Chargers have a salary cap problem.

Daniel Popper of The Athletic includes estimated draft pick salaries to project LA at $35.23 million above this season's NFL salary cap. The club will have to shave off $25.67 million from that number in time for the season's official start, on March 13th. Popper proposes LA waive injury-prone WR2, Mike Williams and linebacker Eric Kendricks, which would put the team in official "compliance" with the cap (they'd have eliminated $26.5 million from that $35.23 million over).

Popper then goes on to detail how extending the team's aging-but-still-great six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen could provide further help.

"I think Allen, who turns 32 in April, played well enough last season to show that he has multiple productive seasons left. Allen said in January that he wants to retire as a Charger: 'I don’t want to go nowhere else.' There should be incentive on both sides to get an extension done. Allen has $11.62 million in prorated signing bonus remaining on his current deal for 2024. The Chargers will have to wear that on the cap even if they get an extension done. Beyond that, though, they have plenty of flexibility as far as lowering Allen’s cap hit for 2024 on a new deal. His $18.1 million base salary, for instance, is not guaranteed, and that gives them room to maneuver with a potential new deal."