Allen Robinson on Tuesday continued to brush aside questions about a potential contract extension with the Bears, saying his focus is solely on beating the Detroit Lions in Sunday’s season opener.
Robinson’s been consistent in his diplomatic approach to questions about why the Bears haven’t extended one of the very best receivers in the NFL. That was the case in the spring, that was the case in the summer, and it’s still the case now as fall descends on Chicago.
“It’s never my focus,” Robinson said. “I’ve said that before. I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on the season. We got a game this week so that’s where my concern is, focusing on the Detroit Lions right now, going out here trying to help my team get a W.
“All that other stuff, I let it play out however it plays out. But that’s not of my concern right now.”
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Robinson, though, has kept tabs on the megacontracts signed by wide receivers over the last six months. First it was Amari Cooper (five years, $100 million):
Then Keenan Allen (four years, $80.1 million):
And while Robinson was talking to the media on Tuesday, reports landed of a two-year, $54.5 million extension for DeAndre Hopkins, which surely he saw later. But just because Robinson is in tune with the dollar figures agreed to by other players doesn’t mean he can’t compartmentalize his thoughts about a new contract and keep his focus on the Lions.
“A-Rob’s always been focused,” wide receiver Anthony Miller said. “I haven’t seen a change in his mind-set at all. He’s always been the same A-Rob.”
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Robinson, certainly, knows one truth in all of this: If he continues to play at an elite level in 2020, he’s going to get paid. Maybe by the Bears. Maybe by another team. But he’s going to get paid.
If it’s not the Bears, some team is going to see a thousand-yard receiver who carries a strong locker room presence and a genuine commitment to the community in which he lives and say yeah, that guy’s worth $20 million a year.
So it’s easy for Robinson to say the contract stuff isn’t a concern of his right now. And it won’t be as long as he continues to prove why he’s one of the elite receivers in the NFL.
“I’m not content with what I’ve done in this league or even as a Bear,” Robinson said. “I got a lot of stuff, many more things I want to accomplish, and that’s where my head is at right now. That’s helping this offense be a top-five offense in this league, helping us get to the playoffs, helping us try to get to the goals that we’ve set out for ourselves.”