BY ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports journalist
CHICAGO (AP) – The Chicago Bears put franchise day on star receiver Allen Robinson on Tuesday, creating a potentially chaotic situation with their most consistent playmaker on the offensive.
The sites have until July 15th to enter into a multi-year contract. Otherwise, he’d play for roughly $ 16.4 million next season, provided he signed.
Robinson agreed to a three-year deal for $ 42 million when he joined Chicago in 2018 after playing his first four seasons in Jacksonville. He has had one of his best seasons.
Robinson made a career high of 102 passes. And his 1,250 yards were only the second largest after the 1,400 he had with the Jaguars in his 2015 Pro Bowl season.
Robinson has 3,151 yards and 17 touchdowns since joining the Bears. He has 5,999 yards and 39 touchdowns in his career, despite never having played with an elite quarterback.
“Hey, we love Allen Robinson,” General Manager Ryan Pace said recently. “He’s a great player for us. We know that. And not just the player, but also the team-mate, the professional he is. Here, too, the franchise tag is an option for us. That doesn’t mean we will necessarily use it. But we want to keep our good players and Allen is a good player for us. “
Robinson has made it clear that he’s not a fan of the franchise tag, which limits players’ ability to sign elsewhere.
Teams that use it must offer a one-year contract for a number based on the average of the position’s five highest salaries – or 120 percent of the player’s previous year salary, whichever is greater. These teams also have the right to match any offer a franchise player receives. And if they refuse, they will receive two draft picks for the first round in return.
“This is a difficult situation because I think I deserve a long-term deal,” he said recently on Cris Collinsworth’s podcast. “Not just as a player, but as a person involved in the culture. You know, I’m a person who – I feel like I’ve helped build Chicago culture. I have a feeling wherever – whether in Chicago or elsewhere – wherever my next stop may be, I think I will make a contribution to that culture. For me this is again an important value. “
The Bears made the playoffs despite going 8-8 for the second straight year in a row, and were then beaten in a convincing wildcard loss in New Orleans. In addition to re-signing Robinson, they also need a starting quarterback.
Mitchell Trubisky is a free agent after the Bears decided not to exercise their option for the fifth year of 2021 before last season. A comeback win in Week 3 in Atlanta put the former No. 2 draft pick in favor of Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles, who was taken over by Jacksonville a year ago to push him. Trubisky returned to the line-up in late November and played better on the track.
Foles who struggled is the only quarterback the Bears have signed for next season.
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