Bears ‘Big-Ticket Options’ at WR May Come Down to Unexpected Player

Allen Robinson

Getty Allen Robinson's market value may have just gone up.

Allen Robinson made it clear he wanted an extension from the Chicago Bears back in September of 2020.

That didn’t happen. Instead, the Bears chose to slap the franchise tag on him the spring in 2021, a move Robinson had made it clear he wouldn’t be happy about months prior.

“When you talk about a one-year deal, or whatever the case might be, something that you’re kind of forced into — as a player, when you’re coming off of 3,000 yards in three seasons, you help take a team to the playoffs two out of three years, you do feel deserving of the long-term, no matter where that will be. I think that’s kind of what makes the franchise tag so tough,” Robinson said last March, via NBC Sports, a few months before Chicago tagged him.

The 28-year-old wide receiver has been rumored to be one of the pending free agents who won’t return to the team in 2022, but due to recent injuries to two of the top wide receivers also slated to be available, Michael Gallup of the Dallas Cowboys and Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robinson’s chances to return to Chicago may have just gotten far greater, however.

Bryan Perez of The Draft Network noted the injuries to Gallup and Godwin now make A-Rob one of the best “big-ticket options available at WR” in 2022.

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Gallup & Godwin Now Come With Injury Baggage

Godwin suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Tampa Bay’s loss to the New Orleans Saints on December 19, and he will miss the remainder of the regular season, as well as the postseason. Gallup, unfortunately, suffered the same fate on January 2 in the Cowboys’ loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Gallup missed eight games earlier this season with a calf injury. He has 32 catches for 409 yards and a touchdown this season, and he has 180 catches for 2,721 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and 14 TDs over his four-year career.

Godwin had his second 1,000+ yard season this year, catching 98 houses for 1,103 yards and six total touchdowns in 14 games.

Robinson also tore his ACL Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season, and he signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Bears the following year, so these injuries won’t prevent Godwin or Gallup from cashing in prior to next season — but they do increase Robinson’s market value a bit, as he’s fully healthy.

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Would A-Rob Want to Play in Chicago Again?

Considering both Godwin and Gallup will be coming off serious injuries, Robinson will be a more sure bet for several teams looking for help at wideout — including the Bears.

Negotiations have soured between Robinson’s camp and the Bears in the past, so it’s reasonable to think he might prefer to move on next season. It’s also reasonable to assume Chicago might want to get younger at the position and add a receiver during the draft.

This will all come down to the market — what other teams might be willing to pay A-Rob — and whether he’d be amenable to playing in Chicago for the next several seasons. The jury’s out on that.

Robinson has had a bit of a down year statistically this year, catching 36 passes for 388 yards and a touchdown, but he had consecutive 1,000+ seasons in 2019 and 2020, and he remains one of the top free agents at the position.

PFF has him projected to sign something akin to a three year, $51 million deal ($17M per year, $31.25 million total guaranteed), so we’ll see if the Bears might be more open to a deal like that with both Godwin and Gallup coming off ACLs. If Chicago doesn’t want to pay it, another team likely will.

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