Allen Robinson was an excellent wide receiver for the Chicago Bears from 2018 through 2020. Fans were entirely behind him and wanted him to stay long-term. However, his ongoing contract dispute with the front office began to turn things sour. That alone didn’t annoy people too much. No, his rapid regression on the field did that. He managed a paltry 410 yards and one touchdown across 12 games. People blamed the quarterbacks, but anybody watching could see Robinson had checked out. He wasn’t running routes with aggression. He gave half-hearted blocks and never fought for the ball.
By the time the season ended, fans were tired of him. His departure in free agency was met with shrugs. When Robinson signed with the Los Angeles Rams in the spring, everybody thought this was it. People would finally see the real him. He’d get to play with a Pro Bowl quarterback fresh off a Super Bowl title in Matthew Stafford. Robinson would set the field ablaze.
Then the season opener happened. It was ugly. The receiver was a non-factor all night, catching one pass for 12 yards. His route-running still looked sluggish, and his effort wasn’t at 100%. That was never clearer than during the final offensive play of the night. Stafford threw a ball up to him in the end zone on 4th and 14. Robinson never appeared to make an effort to go get it.
Stafford was not happy, appearing to shout, “He didn’t go and get the ball,” to head coach Sean McVay on the sideline.
Allen Robinson better hope things get better.
Stafford already has a favorite established target in Cooper Kupp. Most people assumed he would be the obvious #2 option. That is no longer a sure thing. Van Jefferson had over 800 yards last year and will soon return from an injury. If that weren’t bad enough, the Rams are still talking to Odell Beckham Jr. about a possible reunion in the near future. Robinson could find himself marginalized in that offense if he isn’t careful.
It is a long season. There is still time for him to get situated. It was just interesting to see how similar he looked to the player that coasted through last season in Chicago. Maybe Bears fans weren’t crazy for their accusations after all. Next week the Rams will play Atlanta. That figures to offer a reprieve. After that, though, it’s road games against Arizona and San Francisco. If the Rams aren’t careful, they could find themselves in a precarious hole.
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