Jared Allen is arguably the #1 defensive end in the NFL, only 26 years old and a fan-favorite. Why are the Kansas City Chiefs considering trading him?
Money. Jared Allen may be asking for more money than the Chiefs are willing to pay. Chiefs GM Carl Peterson has been known to be stingy in big time contract negotiations in the past so this is a distinct possibility. With Carl Peterson in the negotiation room, this may be the simple answer.
Allen doesn't want to be a Chief. JA may be so soured on Kansas City and the Chiefs organization that he simply does not want to come back. He feels betrayed because he hasn't received a long-term contract offer from the Chiefs. He showed his immaturity last off-season when he demanded a trade then quietly backed down. That immaturity may still be there.
Draft picks. The Chiefs may feel that a total rebuild is in store for the team and there are simply too many holes to fill that can be filled with draft picks from trading Jared Allen. His value will never be higher. In this case, the Chiefs are willing to trade a star player to fill other positions of need. How many positions? Well, if we're talking about the Chiefs only getting two draft picks in return for Allen, you've just traded your star player for two potential, hopeful starters. In my opinion, that is a risky move.
Allen's behavior violations make him a risky player to pay a lot of money to. The Chiefs may not be willing to offer Allen a massive contract because they know that one more slip up in the eyes of the NFL will result in a potential year-long suspension from the league. Do the Chiefs know something about Allen's lifestyle we don't? By all accounts, Jared has quit drinking and straightened his life out.
My guess is that the cause for these trade talks is a combination of all of these possibilities, some with more influence than others. I do believe though that the main cause of the trade is the acrimonious relationship between Jared Allen and the Chiefs' front office. If you can get a deal done with a player of Jared Allen's caliber, you do it. Especially when he's a player you drafted and developed into a fan favorite, NFL sack-leading star.
This has to be less about money and more about personal conflict between the two sides. Allen is in Minnesota today and there are a lot of rumors flying around that the Vikings don't want him to leave town without signing a contract.
The Kansas City Chiefs could lose Jared Allen today. And I won't be surprised if it turns out that sour front office negotiations were the cause of his departure.