There’s no denying that the Chicago Bears offense was abysmal in pretty much every aspect. Quarterback, tight end, offensive line, run game, play calling, you name it.
But perhaps the most consistent bright spot in a terrible year was the play of receiver Allen Robinson, who managed to post a 1,000-yard season — the first for a Bears receiver since 2014 — amid all of those issues.
Robinson was also named the Bears’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes “outstanding community service activities off the field as well as excellence on the field.”
So it’s not a surprise that NFL.com’s Adam Rank believes Robinson is the Bears player that everyone should be rooting for.
Former Pro Bowl safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark recently claimed that Robinson isn’t a No. 1 receiver. While I certainly respect Clark’s football knowledge, that is a completely preposterous take, in my opinion. Allen has been one of the best players at his position, despite some uncertainty (to put it mildly) at the quarterback position during his time in Jacksonville and Chicago.
I would say Robinson is a top-10 receiver, at worst. And really, I would make the case that he’s in the top five. I mean, he ranked seventh in receptions (98) and 14th in receiving yards (1,147) last season, while catching passes from Mitchell Trubisky and Chase Daniel. Not only is he a nails, clutch receiver (as you can surmise from the visual evidence on the thread from the tweet below), but he’s also been honored for his great work in his community. Good player. Even better guy.
In just two seasons, Robinson has proven to be one of general manager Ryan Pace’s better free-agent signings, where he thrived in one of the worst offenses in the NFL. In 2019, Robinson had 98 receptions for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns.
Robinson has expressed his desire to remain in Chicago for the long-term, and you have to believe that Pace wants to keep arguably the best player on the Bears’ offense around.
There has been conversation about an extension, Robinson said, but he also wouldn’t call it contract “talks.” At this point, discussion about a possible extension remains in a “very minimal stage.”
Still, Pace needs to make locking up his best offensive player in Robinson — a true No. 1 receiver for Chicago — a top priority.
Pace has been known for rewarding players prior to the start of the regular season — Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Charles Leno among them. So, perhaps, a contract extension for Robinson is in the works.
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