Kansas City Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson made a tough decision in the 2020 offseason, but he believes it’s the one that gives him the best chance to be a winner.
In 2019, Robinson had a career-high 449 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Some speculated that production would be enough to get him a nice payday with another team. Instead, Robinson would return to Kansas City on a one-year contract for $2.3 million. A huge win for the Chiefs, getting Robinson to sign a team-friendly deal, to remain in Kansas City for one more season.
“I’m a big fan of Demarcus Robinson. I’ve said that before,” Andy Reid told reporters on Sunday. “Demarcus could be a starter anywhere in the National Football League and that’s the way we look at him. So, he’s in the rotation and they go. We try to keep ourselves in a position where potentially we can throw fastballs at you with a rotation, and we’re lucky right now to have the guys to be able to do that. So, that’s how we go. But I think everybody’s got the utmost respect for D-Rob. He knows every position, he knows it from every personnel group, and the quarterback, most of all, has trust in him, which becomes probably the most important thing.”
Robinson also has a tremendous relationship with not only Patrick Mahomes, but the other wide receivers in Kansas City. They’ll all get together with each other’s families and go to Top Golf or spend an evening together.
“I think like you said, it’s a group friendship and the receiving room, the quarterbacks, the whole offense,” Mahomes said. “So, it wasn’t that I tried to convince him to stay. He made that decision because he wanted to be a part of this and a part of this team. I think it was more of me wanting him to do what was best for him and his family. I think he thought what was best for him was being here with us, being a part of this culture, being a part of this team and this community. Like you said, he’s a guy who could be a No. 1 receiver in several different places. He understands his role in this offense. When he gets in, you see he makes plays when his opportunity is called. It’s nice to have a guy who is on the same page as me. You see all those scrambles, all those different things, he’s always on the same page as I am. He is someone who works extremely hard, he blocks for other guys, he’s someone who is a special player in that room that I am glad is on our team.”
The players, together have created their own little family environment within the locker room. That sense of family carries over on the football field too.
“I would say we always just get together and hang out whether it’s at Pat’s house or anybody’s house, Travis’ house,” Robinson said. “We all like to just hang out. I think that just brings you closer than just being on the field or just working at work. Once you take that to another level of hanging out outside of football and just really getting to know one another personally, I think that makes you better. You know how this person is going to play on the field even though it has nothing to do with playing on the field. I think it brings you closer to a person.
It also helps that the Chiefs just won Super Bowl LIV. So, the idea of winning another championship with his best friends played a big role in Robinson’s decision to remain in Kansas City for another year. He believes his best chance to win again is with the team that he earned his first ring.
“I think we got the best chance to go back and win another championship here,” Robinson said. “And that’s why I’m playing the game to win championships and build a legacy for my family and for myself. I wanted to come back, just try to win as many as I can, so that’s what I did.”
The Chiefs have a rotation at the wide receiver position that keeps everyone fresh, but it also means limited opportunities. A selfless mentality, at the expense of personal stats and with the goal of winning a championship, is one of the many things that makes this unit one of the best in the NFL.
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