The Los Angeles Rams signed former Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson to a three-year, $46 million deal with $30 million in guaranteed money this offseason.
Robinson, 29, spent four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars and four years with the Bears, and the narrative surrounding him for the bulk of his career was that he hasn’t played with a quarterback good enough to get him the ball on a consistent basis.
That was supposed to change when he got to L.A., where quarterback Matthew Stafford, head coach Sean McVay and company were coming off a Super Bowl win in February.
But after just one game played for the Rams in the 2022 NFL season, a nationally televised 31-10 beatdown at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, it doesn’t seem like Robinson’s debut could have been much worse — and it doesn’t look like Stafford was too happy with his new wideout, either.
Stafford Appears to Say About A-Rob: ‘He Didn’t Go & Get the Ball’
In his first-ever game with the Rams, Robinson finished with one just catch on two targets for 12 yards. It was a lackluster debut that had the veteran receiver going viral for all the wrong reasons. Naturally, Twitter had a great deal to say about it:
Robinson’s lack of production wasn’t due to playing time, either. Per analyst Matthew Betz, A-Rob played 97% of the Rams’ offensive snaps, but received just 5.1% of the team’s total targets:
Allen Robinson in Week 1:
65/67 snaps (97%)
48/50 routes run (96%)
2 targets (5.1% tgt share)
Very solid night of cardio
Some pointed out Robinson’s perceived lack of effort, which was also a common complaint among Bears fans in 2021:
Allen Robinson already in 2021 form.
As it turns out, Stafford also appeared to question Robinson’s effort on a fourth down play when the QB was throwing to him in the end zone.
Credit to Erik Lambert for capturing the video below, in which Stafford appears to tell McVay as he runs to the sidelines: “He didn’t go get the ball.”
Check it out:
What McVay & Stafford Said Postgame
According to Stafford, he and the Rams offense were flummoxed by Bills’ defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier’s tenacious game plan. He also took partial responsibility.
“I think they played, maybe two snaps of man? It’s a lot of zone,” Stafford said, per The Athletic. “They clouded to the boundary quite a bit, Allen saw a lot of Cover 2 over there. I can still do a better job of getting him the ball in some instances.”
After the game, McVay said he’d like to get A-Rob more involved.
“We just really didn’t get in much of a rhythm tonight, so it was tough to get anything,” McVay, said, via USA Today’s RamsWire. “I’d like to get Allen more involved, like to get a lot more guys involved. But overall, it was a tough night for us and it was a poor night in terms of the overall decision-making for my standpoint, and that’s something I’m looking forward to correcting.”
Robinson’s Tenure in Chicago Ended on Sour Note
The Bears franchise tagged Robinson last season after failing to agree on a contract extension. A few times after that, the wideout’s effort was questioned by Bears fans:
His numbers also went down significantly last year.
After he amassed 3,151 yards and 17 touchdowns on 255 catches over his first three seasons with the Bears, Robinson had the worst statistical season of his career in 2021. He missed five games due to injury and finished with 38 catches for 410 yards and a lone touchdown.
He could very well turn it up as the season progresses, but so far, the former Bears WR isn’t off to a great start with his new team.
Allen Robinson has played with Bortles, Trubisky, Foles, Fields, Dalton and Stafford at QB.
Last night’s 2 targets were the fewest he’s ever had in a full game in his entire career.
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Matt Stafford Appears to Diss WR Allen Robinson to Coach Sean McVay: WATCH