Chicago Bears: Allen Robinson key to developing Justin Fields

Earlier this offseason, it appeared to be a matter of when, not if, the Chicago Bears and wide receiver Allen Robinson would have a breakup. Now, he is key in helping develop rookie quarterback Justin Fields.

What a difference a draft makes. For the Chicago Bears, things were bleak at the start of the 2021 league year. They apparently swung for the fences to acquire All-World quarterback Russell Wilson. They made a huge offer to the Seattle Seahawks but were rebuffed.

Instead, the Bears ended up with Andy Dalton. Despite Dalton being an improvement over Mitchell Trubisky, he is no Wilson. The fans were not happy with that outcome.

Heading into the draft, the Bears still had questions at quarterback, offensive line, cornerback, and wide receiver. The Bears again swung big and this time, connected. They found a prospect many believe could be the team’s first legitimate franchise quarterback, Justin Fields. They traded up from the 20th overall pick to the 11th pick. That changed everything, but the Bears weren’t done.

General manager Ryan Pace again made a big move. He moved from No. 52 to 39 to acquire a first-round offensive line prospect, Teven Jenkins. Later in the draft, he drafted another lineman, Larry Borom. He also picked up wide receiver Dazz Newsome, and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr.

The draft was so good that Pace also picked up prospects who could help in areas that weren’t a big concern. He picked up running back Khalil Herbert and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga.

Now the attitude around the Chicago Bears is much more positive. The feeling of doom and gloom is replaced with high hopes of a contending Bears team again. The fans are now trying to determine when FIelds will take over as QB1 and not complaining that the quarterback room is vacant of talent once more.

One of the most negative stories about the Bears is the Allen Robinson situation. Robinson was in the last year of his free-agent contract with the Bears. He hoped that the two sides could come up with a new contract early in the 2020 season. That didn’t happen, and Robinson was upset. In the offseason, Chicago eventually placed the franchise tag on him and he wasn’t happy about it.

The situation looked like it was headed to a breakup.

Now, however, things are different. The moment Fields throws a pass to Robinson (whenever it happens), he’ll be the most talented quarterback to throw to him in his career.

In his seven seasons in the NFL, he’s had Blake Bortles, Mitchell Trubisky, Chase Daniel, and Nick Foles throwing to him. If you go back to college, he had Mark McGloin and Christian Hackenberg. Not a stellar stable of quarterbacks.

Robinson and Fields are a match made in heaven for the Chicago Bears

The idea of having a top-notch quarterback finally throwing to him should change Robinson’s plans. He is the perfect receiver to work with the rookie. His coaches and teammates rave about his work ethic and professionalism. Yes, he was upset with what happened with the contract negotiations last year. However, he didn’t sulk and let it affect his play. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season, becoming only the fifth Chicago Bears receiver to do so.

There is no one around the NFL better handled to help in Fields’ development. He’ll take the young quarterback under his wing and help him understand what he needs to learn to be a better quarterback.

Robinson leads the league in contested catches over the past two seasons with 93. The next in line has 19 fewer. He has the ability to be open even if he isn’t open. He also goes up and does a great job of making the catch even when the throw isn’t a good one.

This is what ESPN Chicago Bears beat writer Jeff Dickerson said about Robinson and Fields playing together.

"The arrival of Justin Fields will greatly benefit Robinson, who is playing on the one-year franchise tag. Despite the often shaky quarterback play, Robinson still managed to post impressive numbers, catching 102 passes for 1,250 yards last season. Whether Robinson is a Bear beyond 2021 remains to be seen, but the (expected eventual) emergence of Fields might convince Robinson to stick around a while longer."

Having Fields as his quarterback should help Robinson stay in Chicago. Of course, the negotiation will still be tough, but the two sides have until July 15th to come up with a long-term deal. He could decide to wait until the end of the season before making a decision to stay and see how things progress. If FIelds is the quarterback and Robinson has a big year, then he has the leverage.

This will be an interesting season for all involved with the Chicago Bears. This could be the start of a new era of a contending franchise and Robinson could and should be a big part of it.