Jared Allen regrets not signing with Seahawks in 2014 free agency
Former NFL defensive end Jared Allen joined 710 ESPN Seattle and revealed that he strongly considered joining the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent back in 2014, the year after they won Super Bowl XLVIII.
Allen confessed that he had a desire to wear the blue and green because of the organization’s reputation and the feeling that he would enjoy himself in the Emerald City, but the two sides ultimately could not come to a contract agreement. He stated that not signing with Seattle remains his lone regret in his playing career.
“You know what? It really was (that) we just couldn’t come together on the contract,” Allen told Jake Heaps and Stacy Rost. “And it’s no disrespect to anybody, that organization was phenomenal, my wife and I really wanted to be there. I still today say that’s probably – if I have one regret in my career, it was not just signing with the Seahawks and finishing it up there. Everything they said I loved, and the organization was phenomenal. It seemed like fun, and that was the biggest part. I was really looking to try to have fun in my last couple years … we were trying to get the deal to work, it didn’t really come together.”
Allen decided to sign with the Bears on a four-year, $32 million contract, which fit his financial demands and then some.
“Chicago came in last minute and kind of, (it was) the one time I took the money,” Allen said. “They made me an offer I couldn’t say no to. That’s kind of what happened there. But yeah, it was all but a done deal. I think my wife was still mad at me for not getting that one done, especially when (the Seahawks) were playing in the Super Bowl that year in Arizona. One of my dearest friends Kevin Williams was on the team and watching him I was like, ‘Aw man, we just had a miserable season in Chicago and here’s Kev playing in the Super Bowl. Should’ve signed with Seattle.’”
Allen ultimately put together an accomplished career, achieving five Pro Bowl selections and four First-Team All-Pro nods, as well as 136 sacks over 12 seasons in the league. Who knows what could have been if he had chosen to sign with the Seahawks in 2014.
