Credit: USA TODAY Sports-The Tennessean
With Allen Robinson now officially set to hit the open market next offseason, these three teams should be first in line to sign the NFL’s most underappreciated wide receiver.
It has felt inevitable, but Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson will indeed play the 2021 season on the franchise tag. He’ll all but surely hit the open market in free agency next offseason. Behind Davante Adams, unless he reaches a deal to stay with the Green Bay Packers, Robinson is lined up to be the second-best available free agent wide receiver next March.
Despite a long run of lackluster quarterback play, which really dates back to his college days at Penn State, Robinson has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL. Back-to-back 1,100-plus yard seasons for the Bears, with Mitch Trubisky, and Nick Foles primarily under center, proves the point of how good Robinson is.
With another season in line with his resume, Robinson will cash in nicely as a free agent next March. The Bears don’t seem inclined to pay market value, and past animosity from Robinson assures he will be elsewhere starting in 2022.
Robinson will have a robust market for his services. But these three teams should be at the front of the line.
3 teams who should be ready to sign Allen Robinson next offseason
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are routinely up against the salary cap, but looking to 2022 they currently have the third-most cap space in the league according to Spotrac ($76.4 million). According to Over The Cap, they have the second-most projected cap space for 2022 ($75.2 million).
Pittsburgh brought JuJu Smith-Schuster back on a one-year deal this offseason. Their depth at the position (Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool) and history of finding receivers beyond the first round of the draft means they rarely ever pony up for someone in free agency.
That said, it seems likely Ben Roethlisberger is entering his final season (either with the Steelers or for his career). Equipping a new quarterback with a legit No. 1 wide receiver right away would be on the radar if Roethlisberger is gone. That makes Pittsburgh a top possible suitor for Robinson.