Five NFL trades that won’t happen in 2021… but should

With the NFL’s trade deadline right around the corner, here are five deals that won’t happen… but probably should.

For every trade that happens, there are 10 that don’t. Enterprising general managers are on the phone with other enterprising general managers all the time, and they will propose the most preposterous deals just to see where teams are with even their best players. Most of these out of the park ideas have no chance of happening, but even the weirdest deals have potential for both teams involved if the conditions are right.

So, with the NFL’s 2021 trade deadline coming in at 4:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 2, here are five deals that could work well for all involved, as ridiculous as they may seem on the surface.

(All graphics by Coley Cleary; photos courtesy of USA Today Network and AP Images)

Bears don’t want to trade Allen Robinson, turn focus to signing him to an extension

The Bears are not interested in trading WR Allen Robinson, and they’re working on signing him to a contact extension.

Bears receiver Allen Robinson was a hot topic of conversation this week as frustrations amid contract negotiations with the team mounted.

Robinson’s teammates, including running back Tarik Cohen, receiver Anthony Miller and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, voiced their desire for the Bears to sign Robinson to an extension.

There was even rumors of a potential trade swirling. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, teams did inquire the Bears about trade opportunities, which the team shot down.

Although it wasn’t surprising teams were asking about a trade given the public contact dispute.

Now, the Bears and have resumed contract talks and are focused on coming to an agreement on an extension that would keep Robinson in Chicago for the foreseeable future, according to Rapoport.

Robinson’s frustrations could be detected in sub tweets in the weeks leading up to this sequence of events. But things certainly hit a boiling point on Tuesday, just one day after the Bears’ improbable fourth-quarter comeback against the Lions.

Arguably the biggest point of contention in contract talks was agreement on how much money Robinson deserved. While the Bears wanted to pay Robinson in the $15 million to $16 million range, Robinson believed he deserved $18 million per year.

While the Bears and Robinson have resumed contract talks, Rapoport says a new deal isn’t imminent as of right now. But it’s certainly a good sign that talks have resumed and Robinson wants to remain in Chicago.

Now, it seems like it’s not a matter of “if” the Bears get a deal done, but when they do.