Ryan Pace Sets Record Straight On Allen Robinson Contract Impasse
Allen Robinson is the best player on the Chicago Bears offense. This is no debatable. He proved that much last season when he almost doubled the receiving yards output of the next closest guy on the roster. Given this and the fact he’s entering his physical prime? It only makes sense GM Ryan Pace would want to reward him with a contract extension.
Right?
One would think. Yet the Bears have remained uncomfortably silent on the subject for months. Robinson has said openly in recent weeks the team had yet to engage him on a new deal. A point he seemed to reaffirm again on Twitter before trying to delete the tweet. When Bears media finally had a chance to ask Pace about the situation, he offered an explanation that falls in line with a theory some have had.
“We’re still working through some of the details and waiting on some of the details with the salary cap. We have an idea what the floor will be (for 2021). … There are some curveballs, but we’re confident we’ll work through. That’s not going to prohibit us from doing the things that we want to do.”
When pressed on the Robinson issue, he reiterated the process is ongoing. The receiver remains in their future plans.
“I don’t see this week as the deadline. I know this is the generic answer, but when we work on these deals, we know how important A-Rob is to us not just as a player but as a teammate. But those things are going to remain behind the scene as we work through the process.”
Ryan Pace has done 11th hour deals before
The details regarding the 2021 salary cap remain somewhat foggy. All teams know to this point is the floor is set at $175 million. If COVID-19 impacts revenue bad enough, team will see at $23 million loss in space. That makes putting together long-term extension more difficult. Especially for teams that are on the lighter side of available room like the Bears.
With that being said, Pace has been in this position before. The clock ticking down and a prominent player needing a new deal. Back in 2017, star defensive end Akiem Hicks was that man. It looked like the Bears weren’t going to pull through. Then on September 9th, one day before the opener against Atlanta, the extension got done. Hick received four years of new money and Chicago had their defensive mainstay.
So it would be wrong to say things are past the point of no return. Five days remain until the Bears head up to Detroit. A lot can happen in the time.