We were told Jared Allen was willing to retire rather than continue his career at a compensation level he felt to be beneath him. Turns out, the veteran pass rusher didn't even take the biggest offer on the table.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday on "NFL Total Access" that the Oakland Raiders represented the highest earning opportunity for Allen, offering a contract that would pay $9 million per year.
Allen -- like Lamarr Houston before him -- was spooked by Oakland's unsettled quarterback position (this was before the Matt Schaub trade) and decided the Chicago Bears were a better fit.
The four-year, $32 million deal (including $15.5 million guaranteed) that Allen decided to take with Chicago was better than the deal offered by the Seattle Seahawks, whom Allen visited twice last week. The New York Jets also were in contact with Allen, according to Rapoport, though they never made a firm offer. (Sounds like John "The Glacier" Idzik to us ...)
According to Rapoport, faith in Jay Cutler, the ability to stay in the NFC North and the Bears' success in free agency were among the reasons why Allen chose Chicago.
Allen's agent met with the Bears at an off-site location in Orlando, Fla., on Sunday and they agreed to general terms of the deal Tuesday afternoon. The deal was finalized by 1 a.m. and announced Wednesday morning. The contract is expected to become official early next week, likely by Monday.
Allen ended up getting exactly what he wanted this offseason: a multiyear, market-appropriate deal with a Super Bowl contender. The journey was far from smooth, but that doesn't matter much now.
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