Chicago Bears’ wide receiver Allen Robinson has an expiring contract this offseason and wants to get paid. In recent Bears’ contract negotiations with Robinson, the two parties have been unable to come to an agreeable deal. In the past few years, contracts for wide receivers have skyrocketed, with superstars like DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen signing for at least $20 million per year. Robinson would like a similar contract, but it remains to be seen if the two parties can find common ground.
The publicity of the negotiations
As negotiations continue between the Bears and Allen Robinson, their discussions are becoming increasingly public and dramatic. On September 15, Robinson deleted all of his Twitter and Instagram posts referencing the Bears. A report surfaced that Robinson asked for a trade, even though it was later proved to be untrue. Robinson was clearly disgruntled with the way his talks were going with the Bears’ front office.
Meanwhile, on Friday morning during a WGN-AM interview, Chairman Ted Phillips said that the Bears are “very optimistic” about negotiations with Robinson. According to Ian Rapoport, talks between Robinson and the Bears front office resumed on Sunday. Tarik Cohen re-signed for a smaller amount than what he could have gotten, saying “I took less so he could get more”. Many Bears players and fans took to social media, advocating for an Allen Robinson extension.
These factors make re-signing Robinson more likely, but there is still much uncertainty in the situation.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Robinson was very vague when asked by Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun Times about his optimism of agreeing upon a contract extension. All he told Lieser was “We know where we stand at, right now I’m just trying to focus on the Falcons,”.
It is clear that Robinson’s teammates, fans and Chicago’s front office want to see him re-sign with the Bears. However, the two parties seem to be struggling to find common ground in contract negotiations.
Why the Bears and Robinson are disagreeing
As player salaries increase around the NFL, each teams’ salary cap is decreasing. In July, the CBA agreed to change the salary cap from $212.5 million to $187.3 million per year. This has a large impact on the Bears, as the main issue between the Bears and Robinson is money.
According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, Robinson is searching for a long-term deal worth $18 million per year. Meanwhile, the Bears would like to pay him around $16 million, comparing him to recent Rams’ re-signee Cooper Kupp. Neither side has been willing to budge financially yet.
Moving forward
It still remains to be seen whether or not the Bears and Robinson can be on the same page. The Bears have a history of letting receivers walk in free agency, most recently with Alshon Jeffrey in 2017. However, there is a clear push from Bears fans and players to re-sign the receiver, pressuring the front office. If Chicago is willing to increase their offer, Allen Robinson might be in a Bears’ uniform for years to come.
Go to our NFL page for more articles and updates!
You can ‘Like’ The Game Haus on Facebook and ‘Follow’ us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers along with Jack!
“From Our Haus to Yours“