With all the talk about acquiring a quarterback, it’s easy to forget the other vital piece of business for the Chicago Bears on offense. Finding a way to appease Allen Robinson. He is their star player. The one fixture on an otherwise inconsistent unit. He’s coming off his second-straight season over 1,000 yards. All this despite inconsistent quarterback play. One would think the Bears would be hyperactive in trying to lock him up long-term.
Yet months have gone by to this point with nothing happening. Reports and rumors have run the gambit from stating the Bears are trying to play it cheap, offering him $16-17 million per year. Others claim the team has made several strong offers but Robinson is seeking a $100 million deal, which likely means $25 million per year. A rumor the receiver subtly tried to shoot down.
Don’t believe everything y’all read lol
— Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) January 29, 2021
The bottom line is no deal has happened.
This is why fans have become rather pessimistic about one happening at all. Speculation has run rampant as to what the holdup is. Some think the Bears are reluctant to offer top money because of the 2021 salary cap uncertainty. Others think Robinson isn’t eager to sign long-term in Chicago because of their ongoing struggles at quarterback.
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Is there any hope for a positive resolution to this problem? Bill Barnwell of ESPN thinks so. His belief centers around the threat of the franchise tag. Robinson has made it clear for months that he has zero interest in being tagged. The Bears will likely use the threat of it to bring their star back to the negotiating table where an extension will finally be worked out before the start of the new league year.
“Robinson doesn’t want to be franchise-tagged, but the Bears’ wide receiver depth chart if he leaves would be the NFL’s worst. Chicago has used the transition tag on Kyle Fuller in the past, but that tag would encourage teams with cap space to offer up a deal with a big first-year payout, something the Bears can’t afford. I think they will use the leverage of a tag to get a long-term deal done, but with a smaller first-year cap figure.
Projected: Four years, $84 million from the Bears”
Allen Robinson turning down such a deal would say it all
That would make his average per year at $21 million. Only two other receivers in the entire NFL would have a higher amount. They being Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins. Keep in mind they be doing this under what will inevitably be a lower salary cap. If that’s not a commitment to making things work, then nothing is. Turning that number down would send a clear message to everybody that it was never about the money for Robinson.
He wants out. Whether it be the coaching or the quarterbacks or both. His desire to get paid and also play for a winning team will be the driving force behind his ongoing stubbornness to sign a deal. In that case, the Bears will likely tag him and maintain his rights for another year. During that period they’ll begin the process of building up the receiver depth chart for his eventual departure in 2022.
Another sad chapter for the Bears’ wide receiver history books.
All is not lost though. Not yet. There is still time for the Bears to make it happen. If they can secure a viable upgrade at quarterback, that might prove the decisive factor in getting Allen Robinson on board for the future. Will it be Deshaun Watson? Dak Prescott? A highly-touted rookie? Nobody can say for sure. All that matters is that they get it right. Then see what happens with Robinson.
