The Los Angeles Chargers made the move to bring back veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen on Tuesday, reuniting with one of the best players in franchise history.
The Chargers needed more depth at wide receiver following the retirement of Mike Williams. Allen is probably the former player the team should have signed all along, but after trading him to the Bears last offseason, things may have been a bit uneasy between the two sides. In the end, this move made sense for both the Chargers and Allen.
Allen will enter his 12th season with the team, and there is a good shot he can break one of the most impressive records in franchise history before the season concludes. However, every action has a reaction, and the other side of this will see a player who was going to make the 53-man roster learn a new fate.
Looking at the depth chart, that could easily be Brenden Rice.
The son of Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, Brenden was drafted in the seventh round of last year’s draft by the Chargers. He had a quiet rookie season, but with competition heating up in training camp this summer, he looked like he might be turning a corner.
Chargers Wide Receiver Depth Chart
| Starters | 2nd String | Third String | Fourth String | Fifth String |
| Ladd McConkey | Quinton Johnston | Jalen Reagor | Luke Grimm | JaQuae Jackson |
| Keenan Allen | Derius Davis | Brenden Rice | Dalevon Campbell | |
| Tre Harris | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | Jaylen Johnson | Dez Fitzpatrick |
Likely, the magic number for wide receivers on the 53-man roster for the Chargers is six. The first six names — Ladd McConkey, Allen, Tre Harris, Quinton Johnston, Derius Davis and KeAndre Lambert-Smith — won’t be going anywhere unless the team has a surprising trade (perhaps involving Johnston) up its sleeve.
That likely leaves Rice (and Jalen Reagor, for that matter) on the outside looking in. He was going to need a strong preseason regardless in order to stick around, but now that probably won’t even be enough.
Rice’s best chance to stay with the Chargers might be to sign on with the team’s practice squad. But in order for that to happen, he would have to be cut and clear waivers before being brought back.
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