Jared Allen thought about drawing the curtain on his career this offseason, but wound up deciding that he wasn’t quite done on the football field yet.
The veteran defensive end signed a two-year deal to play for the Bears after discussions with various teams and said Monday that “life is good” with his new team. Allen and the Bears are still figuring out how all the pieces will fit together on the defensive line, but the Bears will be getting a reinvigorated Allen for as many snaps as they decide to send his way.
“I was not so much refocused, but (buoyed by) the excitement of being new,” Allen said, via Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “Heck, I did OTAs this year. When’s the last time you saw me at OTAs?”
Allen spoke to Pelissero about watching film of last season and seeing at least three sacks slip through his fingers, which both frustrated him and reassured him that he can still get to the quarterback often enough to create havoc for offenses. With LaMarr Houston on the other side of the line, Allen should be in position to use his renewed enthusiasm to make sure those near-misses turn into sacks this time.