Allen had attracted interest from other teams including the Seahawks.
New Chicago Bears defensive end Jared Allen insists that his move to the franchise was not motivated by money and he also believes that they can win it all this year.
Prior to his switch to Chicago from the Minnesota Vikings, speculation suggested that the 31-year-old was considering retirement if he didn’t receive the right offer, however he moved to dismiss that story after being unveiled as a Bears player.
Essentially, the rumors were based on the belief that if Allen wasn’t able to attain an offer that he felt paid him enough to do the job he does, he would have been willing to walk away from the game.
However, the defensive end has explained his reasoning behind exploring his options and what he felt was fair in terms of a contract offer, whilst also insisting that he ultimately felt as though Chicago was the best fit for him and his family moving forward.
“It was never like if I don’t get X-amount of dollars I’m walking away” Allen said, as reported by ESPN. “That was never the case.”
“But my point of this was I wasn’t just going to throw my cleats on and my pads on for a team that had no chance [or] are rebuilding in a point in your career where you’re laying it on there. I feel like I’m still the best at what I do.”
Allen generated interest from across the league in free agency, with the likes of Denver, Dallas and Seattle said to have submitted an offer which were all less lucrative than what the Bears offered.
Having turned down a move to the reigning Super Bowl champions, Allen signed on to a four-year deal worth $32m with the Bears that includes $15.5m in guaranteed money.
Allen was keen to stress that he wanted a deal that he felt was a fair reflection on what he would offer on a daily basis while also considering the effect his contract would have on the market.
Nevertheless, having now joined up with his new team, he genuinely believes that they have a chance of winning this season, and he believes that that the Bears are a lot closer to that ambition than people would think.
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