{"id":755364,"date":"2026-02-16T05:25:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T05:25:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/755364\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T05:25:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T05:25:34","slug":"saints-expected-to-sign-veteran-wr-keenan-allen-to-boost-offense-in-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/755364\/","title":{"rendered":"Saints Expected to Sign Veteran WR Keenan Allen to Boost Offense in Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New Orleans Saints<\/a> recently completed their first season under Kellen Moore, finishing with a record of 6-11, which is a one-game improvement over their 5-12 record in 2024.<\/p>\n

They finished the year strong by winning four of their last five games. However, they are still aiming to return to the NFL playoffs<\/a> and ultimately take the lead in the NFC South. To do that, they’ll need to improve their offensive production, specifically by providing more support for quarterback Tyler Shough, who just completed his rookie season.<\/p>\n

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Chris Olave led the team with 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, but the second-highest wide receiver, Rashid Shaheed, only managed 499 yards and two touchdowns before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks<\/a> after nine games. This is why Fox Sports’ Greg Auman predicts they will sign Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> wide receiver Keenan Allen<\/a>, who has accumulated over 12,000 career receiving yards.<\/p>\n

\"Los<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen.\u00a9 Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

(\u00a9 Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

“Allen, 33, returned to the Chargers in 2025 and still found a way to get 81 catches for 777 yards and four touchdowns,” Auman wrote.<\/a> “He’s easing into WR3 mode, but has a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 with 1,000-plus catches and 70 career touchdowns, so he’s a good fit for a team looking for a veteran mentor to pair with a young receiver. That could mean staying with the Chargers, but he’d be a nice value match for the Saints, who could use another playmaker and have Kellen Moore, who had him in 2023.”<\/p>\n

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Adding Allen would be stability and experience in a developing offense. Shough showed flashes during his rookie campaign, but consistent secondary production behind Olave was lacking. Allen, even at 33, remains a polished route-runner capable of moving the chains and serving as a reliable third-down target. His 81-catch season in 2025 suggests he still has enough left to contribute meaningfully.<\/p>\n

From a broader standpoint, teams with young quarterbacks often prioritize veteran pass catchers to accelerate growth. Allen\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 brings credibility and mentorship to a receiver room that needs both. His previous experience working with Moore in 2023 could also ease the transition, allowing the Saints to integrate him quickly into the offensive scheme.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, New Orleans\u2019 path back to NFC South contention hinges on offensive improvement. If the Saints secure Allen on a value deal, it would signal a commitment to supporting Shough while remaining financially flexible for future moves. A stronger, more balanced passing attack could be the catalyst that helps New Orleans turn a late-season surge into legitimate playoff momentum in 2026.<\/p>\n

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Related: Lamar Jackson Predicted to Receive 2,200-Yard WR in Latest Mock Draft<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports<\/a> on Feb 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The New Orleans Saints recently completed their first season under Kellen Moore, finishing with a record of 6-11,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":755365,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2076],"tags":[6000,7,13958,1328,7166,262,896,55,2572,2571,1591,6,3698,397,261,283,1473],"class_list":{"0":"post-755364","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-orleans-saints","8":"tag-chris-olave","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-greg-auman","11":"tag-keenan-allen","12":"tag-kellen-moore","13":"tag-los-angeles-chargers","14":"tag-new-orleans","15":"tag-new-orleans-saints","16":"tag-neworleans","17":"tag-neworleanssaints","18":"tag-nfc-south","19":"tag-nfl","20":"tag-rashid-shaheed","21":"tag-saints","22":"tag-seattle-seahawks","23":"tag-tyler-shough","24":"tag-wide-receiver"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116078649517136093","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=755364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/755365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=755364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=755364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=755364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}