Getty CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 16: Allen Robinson #12 of the Chicago Bears completes the pass against Josh Jones #27 of the Green Bay Packers in the first quarter at Soldier Field on December 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers 24-17. (Photo by Kena Krutsinger/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears officially have less than one week to decide whether Allen Robinson is going to be a member of the team for the foreseeable future. The team can slap the franchise tag on their best offensive player — or they could just go ahead and finally re-sign their top wideout instead.
When speaking with the media via Zoom Tuesday, both general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy spoke in a glowing fashion about Robinson, and when asked about the team’s intentions regarding him, both seemed to strongly suggest they were going to attempt to bring A-Rob back either via the tag or a long-term deal.
Then, shortly after Pace and Nagy were finished speaking, Robinson’s agent Brandon Parker Tweeted a comment that raised some eyebrows, while Robinson began ‘liking’ Tweets linking him to the New York Jets.
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Pace & Nagy Both Seem to Want A-Rob Back
“We have a ton of respect for Allen,” Pace said, about the 27-year-old wideout, adding: “We have to do what’s best for the Bears, too. We consider everything. The league gives us the franchise tag as an option. That tool is there for a reason. We haven’t made a firm decision on any of that yet. But we know we have that at our disposal.”
Pace went on to heap more praise on Robinson, who has 3,151 yards on 255 catches with 17 touchdowns in his three seasons in Chicago. “We love Allen Robinson. He’s a great player for us. We know that. And not just the player but the teammate, the professional that he is,” Pace said. “The franchise tag is an option for us. It doesn’t mean we’re necessarily going to use that. But we want to keep our good players and Allen is a good player for us.”
When he was asked why the Bears typically re-sign and take care of their best players but haven’t done the same with their best offensive player, Pace said the following, specifically mentioning Robinson’s agent:
We have a history of extending our players, as you mentioned. We usually find a way to make that work. The proof is kind of in the pudding with that. And every one of them is different. Every one of them is personal, and that’s why I’m sensitive, and I hope you guys understand, about talking about that in the media. But it’s a process. It takes both sides to work through that, and every one of them is unique. I do like to lean on our history. I think Joey Laine does a great job of working through that and building relationships with those agents. Allen has a really good agent that we’ve worked within the past, and it’s a process. We’re kind of going through that.
He certainly left many with the impression Chicago plans on bringing A-Rob back:
When asked about Allen Robinson and the franchise tag, #Bears GM Ryan Pace said “We want to keep our good players and Allen is a good player for us”.
All signs point to Robinson being a Bear in 2021 — that’s a very good thing imho.
Primary takeaways from Pace’s presser:
– Allen Robinson isn’t going anywhere in 2021.
– Pace still uses the term “collaborative” far too much & he knows it.
– He’s not going to give anything away when it comes to QB but does know it’s their top priority. #Bears
After hearing both Pace and Nagy talk about Allen Robinson, I can’t see him leaving the #Bears.
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Brandon Parker Has Intriguing Response to Pace & Nagy on Twitter
Not long after the press conference ended, Robinson’s agent Brandon Parker Tweeted this:
Parker’s Tweet could be a reference to Robinson’s earlier comments about how the receiver would feel if Chicago placed the franchise tag on him: “I think everybody knows a little bit on how I feel about that, but I’m not going to really get into that right now,” Robinson said in January, saying he “plead the fifth” when he was asked how he felt about being tagged.
For his part, Robinson took to Twitter late Tuesday and ‘liked’ the following Tweets suggesting he wanted be traded to the New York Jets:
Oh yeah, I’m for it bay bay!!! @AllenRobinson @deshaunwatson @nyjets
Crazy idea: #Bears tag @AllenRobinson. @nyjets trade Sam Darnold for Robinson.
#Jets sign Robinson to long term deal.
@PatWillEra @AllenRobinson That’s the problem..he’s not
Bears coach Matt Nagy seemed to suggest that A-Rob and Parker knew where the Bears stood — and if that’s the case, the talented wideout hasn’t concurred, at least publicly.
Nagy on A-Rob: ‘We Love Him’
“A-Rob knows how much we love him. A-Rob knows how much that me as a head coach and Ryan as a general manager, the importance that he brings to the city, to the organization, to his teammates, to all of us,” the Bears coach said. “I’ve had a million conversations with A-Rob in three years and he’s well aware of what he means to all of us. This is just the business side and we’re not the only team in the NFL that’s dealing with this right now.”
No, they’re not, but Robinson is one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason, and one of the best wideouts in the NFL — and the Bears have a chance to secure his services for the next several years. Whether Chicago puts its money where its mouth is remains to be seen.
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