Ryan Pace doesn’t like to discuss money or contracts publicly. He feels that is a private matter between the Chicago Bears organization and its players until the deals are on paper. That’s fair. It is undoubtedly the biggest reason why the GM has remained stubborn in his comments regarding an extension for star receiver Allen Robinson.
Pace is a man who prefers to operate behind the scenes. He runs a tight ship. No leaks. Especially when it comes to contract discussions. This is why no news comes out on them until the deals are pretty much done. It was true of Eddie Jackson and Danny Trevathan earlier this year. Odds are it will be true again with Robinson whenever that gets done.
And it will get done. At least Pace made it seem that way during his interview on the Hoge & Jahns podcast. While he didn’t outright confirm anything, it was obvious the GM was urging Bears fans to relax. Just let him work through the process.
“You guys know how we are when we get talking about contracts and extensions. We’re usually pretty quiet on that front. It will be no different with this. But, look, we know how good of a player Allen Robinson is and we know how important he is to our team, not just a great player but a great teammate, a huge part of our culture. So we recognize that.
“Sometimes there’s a lot of factors that go into play as we work through these things. We just keep those things behind the scenes and I think it’s just better for the process. But we appreciate A-Rob; we recognize the talent that he is and the person that he is.”
Ryan Pace sounds like he’s desperate not to outright say it
Robinson, for his part, has put added pressure on the Bears of late. His latest attempt came during an interview on ESPN 1000 when he said the team hasn’t engaged him or his agent yet on a new deal. Pace retorted on Thursday that a big reason they’ve held off thus far is due to the financial uncertainty of 2021 where the salary cap is projected to plummet as much as $23 million. He doesn’t want to start handing out big contracts until he knows exactly where the team’s payroll will stand.
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That is fair.
Still, Pace made it seem like he isn’t concerned. Things will work out as they should. He is well aware of what Robinson means to the offense. There are plenty of creative ways to work around the salary cap problem. The Bears have over a month before the regular season begins September 13th. That is enough time to get something done. He’s preached patience and this should help encourage it.