Is Keenan Allen playing today? Chargers WR's status revealed for preseason opener vs. Saints

Keenan Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears last year after spending the first 11 seasons of his career with the LA Chargers.

Allen caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024; however, he left as a free agent after the campaign. Allen expressed his excitement on Thursday about rejoining the Chargers.

LA is getting ready for its second preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Many fans may be expecting the matchup to mark Allen's first appearance for the the team since his return, but that is unlikely.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh only gave playing minutes to second-teamers, third-string players and practice squad members in their opening preseason game. However, he has not confirmed whether any first-team players would see action against the Saints.

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A week after Trey Lance started in the Detroit Lions matchuo, Harbaugh said that Taylor Heinicke will the QB1 against New Orleans.

Justin Herbert has yet to participate in preseason games in his NFL career, and that trend is expected to continue this year. Fans won't see Herbert and Allen work together until Week 1 of the regular season, when LA faces the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil.

Allen will serve as the veteran leader in the Chargers wide receiver room, which also has Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. He will also work as a reliable weapon for Herbert, with the duo already familiar with each other.

As for the Saints, the team confirmed that Spencer Rattler will start for them against LA.

How to watch the Chargers vs. Saints preseason game on Sunday

The LA Chargers will host the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium in their second preseason game of the year on Sunday. Some players will have another opportunity to prove that they deserve to be on the final 53-man roster.

The game is scheduled to begin at 4:05 p.m. ET. NFL Network will broadcast it nationally, and local stations in Los Angeles (CBS 2) and New Orleans (FOX 8) will also carry it.

Another way to watch the game is through streaming via NFL+, DirecTV, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV and FuboTV.

Game details:

Date and Time: Sunday, Aug. 10 at 4:05 p.m. ET

Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

TV: NFL Network

Announcers: Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Dan Fouts (color analyst), Jaime Maggio (sideline reporter)

Live Streaming: FuboTV, NFL+, DirecTV Stream, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV

About the author

Habib Timileyin has been an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda for 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, and found himself drawn to the NFL about a decade ago.

Habib's favorite team is the Cincinnati Bengals and he particularly enjoyed their run to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. The 2016 Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots is his most favorite of all time, and if given a chance to go back in time, he would love to witness the Patroits’ incredible comeback from being 28-3 down to winning 34-28.

Habib admires Tom Brady for his journey from being in a low draft position to achieving immense success in the game. His favorite coach of all time is Bill Belichick.

Habib likes to study intricate details of a story before reporting on it, and compares information among several reputable sources to ensure accuracy. When he's not writing about the NFL, Habib is likely watching Soccer, Basketball or enjoying a good movie on sports.

Know More

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez