With Sunday’s 25-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in hand, the Los Angeles Chargers added one more reason to celebrate in the game’s final minutes.
With 2:56 remaining and the Chargers leading by the final margin, Justin Herbert threw a pop pass to receiver Keenan Allen for a 7-yard gain.
The play itself was unremarkable. The pass wasn’t much more than a handoff and made no difference in the outcome of the game. But what it meant was not.
The catch was Allen’s second of the night and the 966th of his career with the Chargers. With it, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions, passing Hall of Famer and franchise legend tight end Antonio Gates in the process.
The remaining fans at Sofi Stadium greeted Allen with a round of applause as Allen’s teammates met him with celebratory pats on the head. Gates, who played six seasons with Allen, was on the sideline to share a hug in his record-breaking moment.
There was no doubt about the play’s purpose. Allen re-entered the game after a late Steelers score with the sole purpose of securing the almost guaranteed catch on the short pass behind the line of scrimmage.
“I was hoping so,” Allen told NBC with a smile when asked postgame if he thought he’d secure the record Sunday night. “Two catches seems a little hard to get in this league, huh?”
Allen said that he actually drew up the high-probability play to secure the record catch.
“I had to draw up the play,” he said. “They wanted me to catch like a smoke route or something. I’m like ‘hey, just give me a little soft toss right in front of the quarterback.'”
It’s a record Allen almost didn’t secure. Allen spent his first 11 seasons with the Chargers after joining the franchise as a third-round pick in 2013. At his best, Allen was one of the most productive receivers in football as a six-time Pro Bowler catching passes from Philip Rivers and Herbert.
But Allen’s Chargers career appeared to over in 2024 after an offseason trade sent him to the Chicago Bears, 52 catches short of breaking Gates’ record. But given the chance to secure his own path as a free agent, Allen reunited with the Chargers on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Even in a reduced role, Allen’s remained an active part of the Chargers’ offense and entered Sunday with 50 catches for 520 yards and four touchdowns. And now he has a place in franchise history that won’t be challenged for a long time.
Ladd McConkey is the Chargers’ second-leading active receiver. He has 133 catches in his one-plus season career.