Justin Herbert gives Keenan Allen his flowers after making a historic catch against the Steelers

Justin Herbert he made sure to give a long-time teammate Keenan Allen his flowers afterwards the veteran receiver etched his name into Chargers history on Sunday night. Monitoring Los Angeles’ 25–10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Herbert praised Allen’s professionalism and leadership after becoming the franchise’s all-time receiving leader.

“I’m very happy to have him,” Herbert said after the game. “He’s a true professional and he’s taught me so much about the game. To have a guy like that teaching the receivers, hanging out with the quarterbacks, talking about routes — I think his understanding of the game is second to none. Nobody deserves that more than him.”

Allen, who entered the night just two catches shy of passing Hall of Famer Antonio Gates, made history in front of the home crowd at SoFi Stadium. He tied Gates’ record with a 13-yard catch early in the third quarter, then officially took the top spot with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Herbert late in the fourth quarter. The reception was simple in design but monumental in meaning.

Keenan Allen is making SNF history

Allen admitted after the game that the idea for the play came from him. “At the end of the game, we’re up by a lot of points, so I thought, ‘Hey, can we get some speed here or something?'” he said with a smile. “That’s probably the easiest catch I can make. It’s like a guaranteed catch. They actually called me a genius.”

Head coach Jim Harbaugh backed up that story, saying the veteran wanted to break the record in front of his family and fans. “He’s got family here and he wanted to do it in front of the home crowd,” Harbaugh said. “A great idea, and we made it happen.”

As soon as Allen caught the ball, the SoFi crowd erupted. His teammates swarmed him on the court, and Gates — who was on the sidelines — was among the first to congratulate him with a hug. The catch was Allen’s 956th with the Chargers, surpassing Gates’ 955, and he needed 87 fewer games to reach the milestone.

Allen, who spent last season with the Chicago Bears before returning to Los Angeles on a one-year deal, reflected on the moment with humility. “This has to be up there with 10,000 yards,” Allen said. “Those are milestones that a lot of people don’t reach. Hats off to Antonio, and Philip (Rivers) and Herb for throwing the ball. I appreciate those guys.”

With 12 seasons of consistency, leadership and production, Allen is now alone atop the Chargers’ all-time receiving list — a testament to the work ethic that has defined his career.