Lost in all of the quarterback discussion with the Chicago Bears is the pending and unstable contract status of wide receiver Allen Robinson, who’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month.
Robinson will have a long line of suitors after a fantastically productive 2020 season that included a career-best 102 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns. Remember: he produced like one of the best receivers in the league while playing with one of the worst quarterback depth charts in the NFL.
But will Robinson even get a chance to market his services to other teams? According to Pro Football Focus’ updated prediction of where each of the top 50 upcoming free agents will land, Robinson will be left negotiating with just one team: the Bears.
PFF thinks A-Rob will get slapped with the franchise tag.
Robinson’s future in Chicago is a little bit murky at this point. Both parties are open to a return, but they have failed to come to terms on a long-term deal after several attempts. And given that the fate of the Bears’ front office likely hinges on the success of their passing offense in 2021, a tag here is the most likely scenario — they just cannot afford to lose their most valuable player of the 2020 season.
Robinson’s 88.3 PFF grade placed him among the NFL’s five highest-graded wide receivers. Meanwhile, one of his two quarterbacks, Mitchell Trubisky, was among the five-lowest-graded passers in the NFL, marked just the fourth time in the last 10 years that a receiver has ranked in the top five at his position in PFF grade with a quarterback ranking in the bottom five.
The franchise tag is a double-edged sword that teams should only use in the most emergent situations. Players are rarely happy when it’s used on them, and it isn’t a strategy that’s received well in the locker room either.
That said, it is available to the Bears and if it’s the only way to keep A-Rob in town — or at least enable them to trade him and get some value in return — so be it.
GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy need to make sure they field the most competitive team possible in 2021; their jobs literally depend on it. And if that’s the case, it’s a safe bet that Robinson will be back.
He was, after all, their best player in 2020.
