Many Chicago Bears fans were holding out hope that something might get done at the eleventh hour. Despite the bad blood between wide receiver Allen Robinson and the previous regime, there was a slight chance new GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus could convince the receiver to stick around. While the door was left open, the odds of it happening were never good. The belief was strong that Robinson wanted a fresh start.
Now some official confirmation is at hand. According to Dianna Russini and Courtney Cronin of ESPN, the expectations are that the 27-year old will hit free agency later this month. This was further hammered home when the Bears opted not to franchise tag him for a second time. He will seek out a new team, likely one with a more established quarterback. Robinson had a frustrating 2021 season. His 410 yards were the worst of his career. This will make it difficult for him to land the kind of top contract he was hoping for.
Expect him to sign a short-term deal in hopes of rebuilding his stock.
Adding to @CourtneyRCronin spot on reporting here.
The Bears will in fact let Allen Robinson hit free agency, per source. No tag is expected to be used for a second straight season.A fresh start for the receiver coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 https://t.co/Rx215rDEXc
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) March 8, 2022
This can’t be called a big surprise. Not just because of Robinson’s personal feelings either. Poles stated from the beginning that he wants more speed on the Bears roster. Especially the offense. Explosiveness was never his biggest strength for all the good things Robinson can do. This is why many people still don’t view him as a true #1 receiver. He is the best of the very good options, not a great one.
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Maybe that perception will change with a better quarterback throwing him the ball. Spending most of his career with Blake Bortles and Mitch Trubisky as his primary options didn’t help his case. While he figures that out, the Bears must reset at the receiver position. They have several spots to fill outside of Darnell Mooney. With limited cap space and only five draft picks, it will be challenging for Poles to get Justin Fields the weapons he needs.
The good news is the options appear plentiful this offseason. The Bears can piece together a solid group of targets with a bit of luck. As for Allen Robinson, all one can do is wish him luck. His four-year run with the franchise mainly was good memories. It is just sad things ended this way.
