Bears and WR Allen Robinson not expected to reach long-term deal before deadline

While it’s certainly not going to come as a surprise, the Chicago Bears and star wide receiver Allen Robinson aren’t expected to agree to terms on a long-term extension before Thursday’s deadline for franchise-tagged players, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Bears placed the franchise tag on Robinson earlier this offseason, which guarantees him $18 million in 2021, after the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on a contract extension.

The deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign a new deal is Thursday, and Rapoport confirmed what we all expected that the Bears and Robinson aren’t going to get an extension in place.

Robinson is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, where he was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise dismal offense. There’s no question about whether Robinson deserves a long-term deal, but Robinson wants to be paid what he feels he’s deserved, which would rank among the top wide receivers in the NFL.

As the franchise tag deadline nears, the #Bears and star WR Allen Robinson are not expected to reach a long-term extension, sources say. It appears that Robinson will play on his $17.88M tag for 2021.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 13, 2021

The Bears could technically franchise tag Robinson again next season, which would cost around $22 million. But you figure that if the two sides still haven’t been able to negotiate a long-term deal by now that it might not happen.

Despite not having a long-term deal in place, Robinson said last month that he plans to report to training camp on time. And while Robinson will give it his all for the Bears this season, it’s a tough pill to swallow knowing Robinson is likely playing his last year in Chicago just as they’re getting a franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.