Getty Could the Bears trade for Calvin Ridley to replace Allen Robinson?
Allen Robinson didn’t have his best statistical season in 2021. The Chicago Bears wide receiver missed five games throughout the year, but even when he was on the field, things weren’t the same.
After catching 200 passes for 2,397 yards and 13 touchdowns over his 2019 and 2020 campaigns with the Bears, Robinson’s production hit a new low in 2021. He caught just 38 passes for 410 yards and a score last season, the lowest totals of his career, save for the 2017 season, which he missed 15 games after tearing his ACL. He was also targeted far less last year. A-Rob had over 150 targets in 2019 and 2020, but had just 66 in 2021.
One look at Robinson’s recent Twitter activity indicates he wasn’t too pleased with the way recently-fired ex-coach Matt Nagy used him in the Bears’ the offense, and considering he’s a free agent coming off the franchise tag, it’s looking like his days in Chicago are numbered.
One top NFL insider thinks the Bears could nab the perfect replacement for Robinson via trade.
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Albert Breer: Calvin Ridley Could Be ‘Replacement for Allen Robinson’
In his weekly mailbag column for Sports Illustrated, insider Albert Breer revealed he thinks the Atlanta Falcons and their top wide receiver Calvin Ridley may be headed for a breakup. “It feels to me like, at this point, it might be best for everyone to get a clean break,” Breer wrote about Ridley and the Falcons on Jan. 26.
“If I’m one of the teams with a quarterback going into Year 2 — the Jaguars, Jets, Bears or Patriots — the idea of adding Ridley would be awfully tempting. The Jaguars could pair him with a recovering D.J. Chark; the Jets with a rising — and young — Elijah Moore. He could be the Bears’ replacement for Allen Robinson or help elevate a crew of good but complementary-type skill guys around Mac Jones in New England.”
If the Falcons are willing to part ways with Ridley — and Breer seems to think they are — he’d be a great option for the Bears. It depends on whether or not Ridley is ready to play again.
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Ridley Took Time Off in 2022 Season to Focus on Mental Health
Breer thinks Ridley, who caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns in his last full season in 2019, won’t be likely to stick around in Atlanta — if he’s ready to return to the game, that is.
Ridley announced in October of 2021 he was taking a break from football due to mental health reasons. If he’s ready to go next season, he is set to make $11,116,000 million in 2022 before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2023. It all depends on Ridley and what he’s ready for, but if he decides to play, the Bears, who currently have around $35 million in cap space, could take on his salary without much difficulty.
“It’s hard to imagine the Falcons would bend over backward at this point to give him a new deal, but Atlanta is in a good spot to sell off a player whose contract is a decent value,” Breer noted.
We’ll see what Ridley is ready for, but if he’s good to go for the 2022 season, Chicago should definitely test the trade waters.
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