Allen Robinson wisely accepts franchise tag from Bears

A report over the weekend suggesting that Allen Robinson would not sign his franchise tag tender turned out to be incorrect.

The Chicago Bears last week franchise tagged Robinson, who was coming off a big season. Over the weekend, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said that Robinson had no plans to sign his franchise tag tender. Robinson changed his mind, because NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday that the receiver is accepting his tender.

So what changed Robinson’s mind?

The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs says Robinson took note of the market and realized $18 million was very generous for a receiver. Robinson also reportedly does not believe the tag will affect his leverage for a multi-year deal.

Allen Robinson took note of the fact WRs are not breaking the bank in free agency. He does not believe agreeing to tag affects his leverage for a multi-year deal.https://t.co/n1uslrUE2f

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) March 19, 2021

The market has not been kind to receivers. Emmanuel Sanders, A.J. Green and Marvin Jones all got in the $6 million range. Only Corey Davis, Curtis Samuel and Nelson Agholor got over $10 million for average annual value in their contracts. Davis at $12.5 million annually got more than any other free agent receiver.

You could see why Robinson may have felt $18 million was a pretty sweet deal.