Allen Robinson caused quite a bit of havoc for the Chicago Bears on Tuesday when he deleted his team-related mentions on social media. A surefire sign to many that he was prepared to start sitting out over frustrations with his contract extension, or lack thereof. To the surprise of many, the wide receiver agreed to meet with the media on Wednesday afternoon to field questions about it.
Robinson stated that he had good conversations with both head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace. Nagy made it clear the team values him greatly and wants him to stay. Is the feeling mutual though? That is the question many have concerns about. Robinson didn’t hesitate in making his feelings clear on that subject.
He wants to stay in Chicago. He loves being a Bear and admitted the social media decision (and the possible trade request which he didn’t confirm or deny) were emotionally driven. A reaction to a perceived show of disrespect by the organization.
.@AllenRobinson: "My heart and spirit has never wavered about the city of Chicago and playing for this organization.”
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 16, 2020
WR Allen Robinson says there was "some emotion" when he wiped out all the Bears stuff on his social media platforms.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) September 16, 2020
Allen Robinson on if he expects to finish the season with the Bears… “Yeah I would say so.” Says on the situation overall, “I’ve talked to Ryan, I’ve talked to Coach Nagy. We’re in the clear with that.” Did not answer/confirm whether or not he asked for a trade.
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) September 16, 2020
It’s just a matter of when. One can understand why he’s antsy. A bunch of other wide receivers like Keenan Allen and DeAndre Hopkins already got their extensions. Yet he continues to wait. Not only that but it’s important to remember that Robinson tore his ACL back in 2017, which was a contract year for him at the time. That injury cost him millions. He’s no doubt afraid the same thing could happen again.
Did his little display get the message across? It seems to have. His agent hinted the two sides are still talking. It’s just a matter of finding that common ground. Sometimes it takes longer than typical negotiations. Pace has a long-standing reputation for rewarding his own players. It’s hard to imagine Robinson is the one he ends up stiffing.
