LAKE FOREST – Keenan Allen had nothing to prove to himself. But he felt the need to show the football world that his career wasn't quite over yet.

When the Bears last took the field two weeks ago in London, Allen caught two touchdown passes and totaled 41 yards on five receptions in an easy win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was Allen's first time reaching the end zone as a member of the Bears, and it was certainly his first big game since coming to Chicago in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers in March.

“About five games there, I thought, 'When is this guy going to come over and play?'” Allen said this week at Halas Hall.

It was big news when the Bears traded for Allen and sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Chargers in return. Allen is a six-time Pro Bowl receiver who is coming off one of his best seasons yet. In his 11th NFL season last year, Allen rushed for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games before a heel injury ended his season early. If he had stayed healthy, he probably would have surpassed all of his career highs.

For Allen, who up to that point had spent his entire 11-year career in Southern California, coming to Chicago in this line of work was a major life change. For the first time he had to adapt to a new team. Recognizing touches wasn't easy for Allen due to his talent throughout the passing attack.

DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, Rome Odunze and D'Andre Swift have more receiving yards than Allen this season. It didn't help that Allen missed two games with his nagging heel injury.

But the Week 6 win over Jacksonville felt like a coming out party for Allen. Or perhaps a reminder to NFL fans that he's still here and still dangerous at 32 years old in his 12th year.

“It was big,” Allen said. “Just to show that I’m still me. I can still do these pieces. I’m on a different team, but I can still be the guy I was.”

It was big. Just to show that I'm still me. I can still do these pieces. I’m on a different team, but I can still be the guy I was.”

— Keenan Allen, Bears wide receiver

Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron praised rookie quarterback Caleb Williams for his distribution of the ball in the first six games. Four different Bears players led the team in rushing at least once in the first six games: Moore, Kmet, Odunze and Swift.

Allen is biding his time. But he found the end zone twice in London, and that might be even more telling. The Bears felt it was only a matter of time before Allen had a big game.

“What I've seen from Keenan is that he shows up to work every day ready to ask questions, ready to discuss situations, ready to see how he fits in with everyone else on offense,” Waldron said. “I think when the opportunities presented themselves two weeks ago, he was ready to make his plays, which he always is.”

As long as everyone stays healthy, Williams will continue to have several dangerous weapons to throw the football. Allen said he no longer feels pain in his foot. If that continues, this multi-pronged passing attack will continue to be unpredictable. A defense may work hard to shut down Moore, but they can't all play together.

Allen is a dangerous weapon as a slot receiver and he reminded everyone last week how dangerous he can be in the red zone.

“We know Keenan is a unique route runner,” Waldron said. “His ability to get separation, his ability to get open, aggressive hands, the way he can win at the top of his routes, from a schematic standpoint, we're always going to try to include him that much. “We can.”