The Chicago Bears and Allen Robinson remain locked in a standoff. Less than a month remains before the new league year starts on March 17th. The franchise tag window has officially opened and will remain so until March 9th. That is how long the Bears have to determine whether they’ll tag him or not. Almost all national and local sources agree this is going to happen.
Obviously, this is a situation Robinson is trying to avoid. He’s made no secret of his hatred for the tag. He has talked about it on every media platform in existence. The receiver tried to get it abolished in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement but failed. There are serious rumblings that he would consider an extended holdout if the Bears did decide to use it on him.
It’s led to some believing the team may actually just let him walk.
Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog made it clear that is not the plan. In a recent piece, he revealed the backstory of Robinson’s situation. It appears the Bears weren’t ready for just how high the receiver’s money demands would be. When they balked, he took his plight to the media in an effort to garner sympathy, putting pressure on the brass to either meet his price or let him walk without using the tag.
“That suggestion came from directly inside the organization and there was a firm belief the deal was done. It was not. Robinson wanted more. (Way more.) And now it seems ARob has taken his situation to the media in hopes of avoiding the franchise tag and securing about a $100 million contract.
That same individual inside the organization told me this week the team has NOT ruled out a long-term deal with Robinson. An extension is still their best-case scenario, despite what Robinson says publicly.”
SM reported recently that the Bears have been receiving plenty of calls about a possible trade for Robinson in the event they do tag him. GM Ryan Pace is keeping those phone lines open and will hear the offers out. However, it’s clear the team is still holding out hope they can reach some sort of common ground with their star wide receiver.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Allen Robinson tactics should hardly be a surprise
He isn’t stupid. He understands how this business works. He’s said multiple times that his goal after the NFL is to become a sports agent. So it is fair to believe he has studied up on ways to turn contract negotiations to his advantage. Manipulating the media is one of the most tried and true tactics. People are almost always going to support the player more often than the organization.
The Bears are a billion-dollar franchise. They should be able to pay the price necessary, right? It sounds easy on paper but that isn’t how this business works. This team needs to be responsible for their spending. As good as Allen Robinson is, his standout play hasn’t gotten them much closer to a Super Bowl championship. They need to think about their priorities. It starts with the quarterback. Then it’s the offensive line.
If Robinson wants $100 million, he can seek it out elsewhere. In 2022.
He can threaten a holdout all he wants. At some point, it would be irresponsible of him to turn down a projected $18 million to play for the Bears this season on the tag. Does he really think he can secure that huge payday next year if he spent all of 2021 in a holdout? Don’t forget he will turn 29-years old before the start of that season. There is no chance he gets the dollar amount he’s looking after such an extended layoff.