Jonathan Allen trade rumors: 5 best teams to roll the dice on Washington DT

I remember Jonathan Allen being a star along the defensive line for the Alabama Crimson Tide in college. While he has been a game-wrecker at times in the NFL, it is safe to say that playing for the Washington Commanders has taken a toll on him. Allen may be under contract with Washington for one more season at a little over $22.3 million, but he wants to be traded away this NFL offseason.

When FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz dropped the news that Allen has received permission from the organization to seek a trade, nobody could believe it. I mean, Washington is finally good! They have a new regime in place under Dan Quinn and Adam Peters, as well as a emerging superstar franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Washington was only one game away from the Super Bowl!

It may be a combination of things, but Allen wanting out is a bit odd. Washington should be able to get something substantial for him, but there are no guarantees that the team who trades for him will end up signing him in NFL free agency next offseason. Allen could conceivably play out his contract with the Commanders, but him wanting out while the going is good is very strange to us on the periphery.

It goes without saying that trying to figure out the next team for him really had me racking my brain.

So without further ado, let's put this dude on a team, bruh! Here are the five best fits I can think of.

5. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears definitely have the finances in place to pursue a high-quality player like Allen this offseason. They have nearly $75 million in available space when it comes to the projected 2025 NFL salary cap. Chicago may be led by an offensive-minded head coach in Ben Johnson, but we all know the Bears' bread and butter historically has been prowess in the defensive front-seven. Is he a Bear?

While having Caleb Williams on a rookie contract certainly helps the Bears be in contention to land Allen, trading him in the NFC is always going to cost more. The other big thing is Chicago may not be ready to win just yet. Allen may welcome any change of scenery, but Chicago and Washington entered last offseason with the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Now look at them.

If Chicago was even a borderline playoff team from a season ago and not a disaster, I could see this.

4. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are in the same bucket as the Chicago Bears in terms of being a serious contender to trade for Allen. They have a ton of cap space, a new head coach who garners a lot of respective from his peers and a young quarterback on a rookie contract. However, the Patriots are like the Bears in that they are coming off a brutal season, one where they had no shot at the playoffs.

New England actually has the most available cap space to spend this offseason at well over $125.5 million! The fact that Mike Vrabel is a former defensive front-seven star in his own right gives me some optimism that the Patriots could pull off the trade. Being in the opposite conference from Washington is a huge plus. Once again, my biggest concern is if the Patriots are ready to win yet.

This is a team with a ton of upside moving forward, but is Allen truly better off leaving Washington?

3. Arizona Cardinals

I am getting dangerously high on the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. While it did not come as much of a surprise to me to see them be highly competitive last year, 2025 was always going to be the time for them to make their return to national prominence. Under Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort, I could be leaning towards making the Cardinals my pick to win the NFC West this season going away.

Arizona enters the offseason with over $71.3 million in available cap space. While that does trail New England, Las Vegas, Washington and Chicago, Ossenfort has the potential to be a big spender this offseason to give Gannon all the resources he wants. With the Cardinals needing a little more bite defensively, look for Allen to be a prime candidate to do that. My only concern is this is in-conference.

This really comes down to what degree does Washington see Arizona as a viable postseason threat.

2. Houston Texans

If not for being totally up against it when it comes to the 2025 NFL salary cap, the Houston Texans may be my pick for Allen's next team. Houston is technically in the black, but has essentially $530K to work with. The final year of Allen's Washington contract is north of $22.3 million. Regardless, I think there is a chance Adam Peters does right by Allen and may trade him to a former colleague's team.

DeMeco Ryans came to Houston after having been Kyle Shanahan's defensive coordinator for a few years in San Francisco. Because Houston is in the other conference, the Texans are not as much of a postseason threat as any team residing in the NFC. Even more true, the Texans are the only team in the NFL that has never played in its conference championship game. Maybe Allen changes all that?

If Houston had anything north of $30 million in available cap space, I would have them as my favorite.

1. Los Angeles Chargers

Without question, the best landing spot for Allen has to be the Los Angeles Chargers. While Jesse Minter may not be an NFL defensive coordinator for that much longer, Allen would be going to a team where winning is a top priority under its new regime. Minter may get his own team next season, but Jim Harbaugh is here to stay. Los Angeles can win big right now and could be viable in the future, too.

With nearly $62 million in available cap space, the Bolts rank sixth in the league in that department. While they may prioritize getting Justin Herbert some more weapons on offense, they could be looking to get younger along the defensive line with Khalil Mack potentially on the way out. Cap space, competitiveness and being in the other conference all work well in the Chargers' favor here.

It may not be the best run organization, but the Chargers' future is far brighter than it was a year ago.