Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has been extraordinarily weird with his money decisions this offseason. Giving $16 million to a 33-year old Jimmy Graham. Guaranteeing $21 million to Nick Foles who is now officially a backup. Yet by far the most baffling situation that continues to evolve is the contract extensions talks (or lack thereof) with Allen Robinson.
The star wide receiver stated a few weeks ago that he’d yet to hear from the organization about such a possibility. While unusual at the time, most felt things would probably pick up closer to the regular season. Now here the Bears are with eight days before the opener in Detroit. Still nothing has surfaced.
By the sound of things, it may not too. Robinson tweeted this out just a few minutes ago before quickly deleting it. A clear indication the Bears still haven’t engaged in talks about a new deal.
Is Allen Robinson serious or just manipulating the media?
There is no way to know. There’s no indication Robinson would use such tactics. He’s always come across as a stand up guy who just focuses on doing his job. Then again, the Bears may have forced his hand with the quarterback situation they saddled him with. Jokes aside, this is one of those players this team can’t afford to lose.
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Now, this is no time to panic. The reality is the Bears remain in control of the situation. If no deal is struck, then they will still have the franchise tag option next offseason. So they can control him for at least two more years. Part of the problem is undoubtedly the expected salary cap drop in 2021. One that could deliver a $23 million hit to their payroll.
That makes handing Robinson a lucrative new deal considerably more difficult. It’s not the greatest excuse, but it is the only explanation that makes sense at this point.
