Keenan Allen has become the 14th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions, a milestone that speaks to his remarkable consistency and longevity, despite frequently enough flying under the radar compared to more celebrated wide receivers.Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2013 draft, Allen has surpassed many of his drafted peers, establishing himself as a reliable and bright target.
“This record basically speaks to his consistency and his availability,” said former Chargers wide receivers coach Jim McGeoghan, who coached Allen from 2018-2020. “But his intelligence and his sophistication are what has allowed him to catch that number of passes over time. He’s great on third down, he’s one of the best chain movers in the history of the game.”
Currently, Allen boasts 11,563 receiving yards, ranking fifth among active NFL players, trailing only DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans, Travis Kelce, and Davante Adams. He’s also among an elite group – alongside Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs – as one of only six current players with more than his 69 receiving touchdowns.
While Allen may not possess the “big-time, flashy” reputation of some of his contemporaries, according to analyst Schecter, reaching 1,000 receptions before many of those players “shows how reliable a target he is for his quarterbacks.”
McGeoghan emphasizes Allen’s high regard within coaching circles. “I would say that within the industry, when I go to speak at clinics and there’s nothing but coaches in there, all the people want to talk about is Keenan and his route craft, his ability to separate [from defenders], his understanding of zones, his release at the line of scrimmage. He’s just so refined and such a craftsman of the receiver position.” McGeoghan added that allen is “the most heralded guy that I’ve ever coached when it comes to the industry professionals.”
