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Could the Chargers Reunite with Beloved LA Receiver?

At this point in the offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers desperate need for a wide receiver has been well documented.

Rookie Ladd McConkey surpassed 1,000 yards on the year, but the team got close to no impact from any other pass catcher on the roster.

With a talented batch of receivers available this offseason, the outside world expected the Chargers to aggressively pursue them.

Instead, they chose to focus on cheap depth signings and have not truly addressed the need up to this point.

They signed former fan favorite Mike Williams to a cheap one-year deal, but he probably won't do much for the receiver room at this stage of his career.

A lot of the impactful free agents have already been scooped up by other teams, so it feels like LA's main focus is now on the draft.

However, Williams isn't ready to give up on the prospect of signing more players and has an old teammate he'd like to reunite with.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) talks to wide receiver Mike Williams (81) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. © Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images © Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

When asked how he would feel about the team bringing back Chargers legend Keenan Allen, the former New York Jets receiver exclaimed that he "would love that."

The two spent seven seasons together in Southern California, four of which being with star quarterback Justin Herbert, so it's no surprise Williams is giddy at the prospect of being reacquainted.

Based on previous moves, especially bringing Williams back, there is a chance that Los Angeles actually considers the move.

Unfortunately, it would be a massive mistake to rely on two aging, past-their-prime receivers.

One of the main reasons the team let Williams walk was because of a torn ACL he suffered in 2023, which is a death sentence for receivers around the age of 30.

He looked like a shell of himself in New York and eventually found himself being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in-season.

Despite playing in an NFL record 18 regular season games last year, the former first-round receiver couldn't even muster up 300 yards in total.

With just an extra year of wear and tear on his body, it's hard to imagine him being much better this upcoming season.

As for Allen, he was shocked along with the rest of the NFL world when the Chargers decided to trade him to the Chicago Bears last offseason.

Although he wasn't much better than Williams, he was still able to rack up over 700 yards to go along with seven touchdowns.

The Bears offense as a whole seemed disjointed and dysfunctional the entire season with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, so the dip in production could possibly be attributed to that.

Or, father time claimed its latest victim and Allen is just fighting against the clock.

While this wouldn't be a catastrophic addition for Los Angeles, it would be a far cry from elevating their passing game.

If the team is truly serious about upgrading at wide receiver, their best bet is to pick up the phone and look for trades, or gear up for a draft that is riddled with exceptional pass catchers.

Related: Chargers Bring Back Former Los Angeles Star WR

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This story was originally published March 30, 2025 at 5:38 AM.

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