Bears’ Allen Robinson Denies Trade Demand
Allen Robinson wants out, according to a league source who spoke with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, the receiver’s agent tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he has not requested a trade. 
Still, Robinson is unhappy with his contract, Schefter hears. Robinson is in the final year of his deal and wants an extension to put him in line with the current market. The $14MM AAV on Robinson’s three-year, $42MM deal currently ties him for 14th with Bills star Stefon Diggs among all WRs.
“We know how important A-Rob is to us not just as a player but as a teammate,” Bears GM Ryan Pace said recently. “But those things are going to remain behind the scene as we work through the process.”
Robinson underscored his importance in the season opener against Detroit, leading the way with five catches for 74 yards. Last year, he was one of the team’s few bright spots as he caught 98 passes for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns.
Both sides have incentive to get a deal done. An extension would allow the Bears to lock Robinson down while reducing his expected 2021 salary cap hit. Robinson, 27, could be in line for something close to $20MM per year, similar to recent deals for Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper.
Allen Robinson Asks Bears For Trade?
3:40pm: Robinson’s dissatisfaction has resulted in another step. He has indeed inquired about a possible trade out of Chicago, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports. The Bears trading Robinson would represent a drastic step — and an unlikely course of action considering they are as of now using the 2020 season to make a final evaluation on Trubisky.
1:53pm: One game into his contract year, Allen Robinson does not appear to be content with his Bears status. Chicago’s No. 1 wide receiver has grown frustrated with his extension negotiations, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (video link).
The latest Robinson report, in July, indicated no talks had commenced. However, the Bears have made Robinson at least one offer, with Pelissero adding that the seventh-year wideout is not satisfied with the team’s proposals and removed Bears-related references from his social media pages Tuesday.
Robinson, 27, is in the final season of a three-year, $42MM deal. Since he signed that contract, the wide receiver market has changed substantially. Robinson’s $14MM AAV now places him 15th among receivers. He has not requested a trade at this juncture, however, per Pelissero. The former Jaguars draftee said late last season he was interested in a Bears extension.
Despite Mitchell Trubisky having not lived up to his draft slot, Robinson has consistently produced in Chicago. He caught a career-high 98 passes last season, one in which his quarterback regressed considerably, and posted 1,147 yards. Against Detroit in Week 1, Robinson caught five passes for 74 yards.
The Bears drafted Anthony Miller in the 2018 second round, but Robinson has operated as their chain-moving centerpiece since arriving that year. The organization has agreed to a few September extensions in recent years, inking Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Cody Whitehair to new deals in the season’s first month. However, each of those deals occurred just before the start of the regular season. The franchise tag could come into play for Robinson, whom the Jags let hit free agency two years ago. A deal that would prevent such a scenario does not yet appear close.
Eagles To Sign G Jamon Brown Off Bears’ Practice Squad
Jamon Brown‘s Chicago stay did not last long. The Eagles are signing the veteran guard off the Bears’ practice squad, the team announced Tuesday.
The Bears added Brown to their P-squad last week but opted to let him join the Eagles’ active roster rather than promote him to their own.
The Eagles have run into extensive trouble up front. They lost Pro Bowl guard Brandon Brooks to another Achilles tear, lost Andre Dillard for the season and had Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson on the Week 1 inactive list due to injury. This played a key role in Washington sacking Carson Wentz eight times.
Brown was a full-time Rams starter in 2017, when the team snapped a lengthy playoff drought, but a suspension halted his run with Los Angeles’ first unit. The Rams waived Brown midway through the 2018 season, but he became a Giants starter soon after. The Falcons signed Brown in 2019 and used him as a starter in nine games. But Atlanta cut the veteran blocker this offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/20
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Re-signed: T John Wetzel
- Waived: T Timon Parris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DE Amani Bledsoe
- Waived: CB Torry McTyer
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed off Bears’ practice squad: LB Rashad Smith
- Signed off Cardinals’ practice squad: T Alex Light
- Placed on IR: OL Cameron Erving, TE Blake Jarwin
Houston Texans
- Promoted: TE Pharaoh Brown
- Placed on IR: TE Kahale Warring
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB Asmar Bilal
- Placed on IR: LB Drue Tranquill
New York Giants
- Promoted: OL Chad Slade, S Sean Chandler
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: G Sua Opeta (story)
- Placed on IR: DE Vinny Curry, CB Craig James (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: OT Jerald Hawkins
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: WR Cody Hollister
Bears Were “In The Running” For Tom Brady
It seems like just yesterday that the Tom Brady free agency rumors were dominating the NFL news cycle. And while Brady will be making his much-anticipated debut for the Buccaneers this afternoon, perhaps he instead could have been suiting up for the Bears in their Week 1 matchup against the Lions.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Bears — who took a look at every QB available on the market before swinging a trade for Nick Foles — made an offer to Brady. It’s unclear what that offer looked like, but Rapoport says Chicago was indeed in the running, though Brady was not particularly keen on signing with a cold-weather club.
Ultimately, the Florida sunshine and Tampa’s loaded receiving corps helped lure Brady to the Bucs. The Bears, despite the trade for Foles and the reworked contract they gave him, have elected to kick off the regular season with embattled signal-caller Mitch Trubisky under center.
Rapoport — along with Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com — adds that there was mutual interest between Brady and the Saints when it was unclear if Drew Brees was going to retire or not. We already wrote about the New Orleans-Brady connection back in June, so this is not exactly news.
Interestingly, though, Jeff Duncan of The Athletic says that the Saints were Brady’s preferred landing spot if Brees had elected to head to the broadcasting booth in 2020 (Twitter link). Duncan adds that Brees was closer to retirement than many realize, so instead of seeing the two 40-something QBs battle each other today, we might have seen Brady in black-and-gold taking on Brees’ new backup and former Tampa starter Jameis Winston.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/20
Here are Saturday’s minor moves. Many of these roster decisions involve practice squad promotions. Under the new CBA, teams are permitted to promote two P-squad players without corresponding roster moves per week. Teams can carry 55 players on their rosters for game days and can have up to 48 active.
Arizona Cardinals
- Promoted: RB D.J. Foster
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: S Jordan Richards
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: K Cairo Santos
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: DE Amani Bledsoe, S Trayvon Henderson
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: CB Robert Jackson
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: G Kenny Wiggins, RB Jonathan Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Krys Barnes
- Promoted: LB Tipa Galeai, TE John Lovett
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Ben Ellefson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: G Ryan Groy, FB Gabe Nabers
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Nate Brooks
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: LB Hardy Nickerson
- Signed: DB Nate Meadors
New England Patriots
- Promoted: K Nick Folk, DT Xavier Williams
- Placed on IR: WR Gunner Olszewski
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: WR Bennie Fowler, DL Margus Hunt
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Anthony Lanier
New York Jets
- Signed: QB Mike White
- Promoted: RB Josh Adams, WR Josh Malone
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: DT T.Y. McGill, G Sua Opeta
San Francisco 49ers
- Promoted: C Hroniss Grasu, CB Dontae Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: T Chad Wheeler
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: WR Cyril Grayson, DB Mazzi Wilkins
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: WR Cam Sims
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/20
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Angelo Blackson
- Waived: DL Michael Dogbe
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DE Mario Edwards
- Placed on IR: K Eddy Pineiro
Denver Broncos
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Troy Fumagalli
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Cassh Maluia, RB J.J. Taylor
- Placed on IR: RB Damien Harris, DL Beau Allen
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: WR Penny Hart
- Waived: WR John Ursua
Bears Announce 16-Man Practice Squad
Teams are starting to announce their full expanded practice squads, and we’ll be bringing you recaps all day. Just in is the Chicago Bears, who announced a full slate of 16 players:
- QB Tyler Bray
- RB Artavis Pierce
- WR Reggie Davis
- S Stephen Denmark
- WR Thomas Ives
- WR Rodney Adams
- TE Jesper Horsted
- OL Sam Mustipher
- OL Jamon Brown
- OL Lachavious Simmons
- OL Badara Traore
- DT Abdullah Anderson
- DE LaCale London
- LB Rashad Smith
- S Xavier Crawford
- K Cairo Santos
Bray has bounced between the practice squad and active roster the past couple of years now, and will serve as the third quarterback behind Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles. Santos is a veteran kicker with a good amount of experience. Right after he was cut we heard the Bears might be planning on him kicking Week 1 against the Lions if Eddy Pineiro still isn’t ready to come back from his groin injury.
Everybody on this list was with the Bears for camp except Brown, who was cut by the Falcons last month. He signed a three-year $18.75MM deal last March, and started nine games for Atlanta last season.
Bears To Sign DE Mario Edwards
It didn’t take long for Mario Edwards to find a new home. One day after being released by the Saints, the veteran defensive end has agreed to sign with the Bears, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter).
New Orleans was reportedly interested in re-signing Edwards to its practice squad, but the Bears were quick to pounce in an effort to bolster their defensive line depth. Though Chicago’s LB corps looks pretty stout, the club is a bit thin along the D-line in the wake of Eddie Goldman‘s decision to opt out of the 2020 season.
Edwards is not a replacement for Goldman, a nose tackle, but he will provide a more experienced DE to bookend with Akiem Hicks. He will likely push 2018 fifth-rounder Bilal Nichols for playing time.
Now 26, Edwards has never lived up to his status as a second-round draft choice. The Raiders selected the Florida State product in the 2015 draft, but he was waived after three seasons with Oakland. The Giants claimed him off waivers, and he parlayed his one year with Big Blue into a two-year, $5MM pact with the Saints last offseason. New Orleans liked him enough to keep him on this year’s practice squad but did not consider him good enough to be a part of its deep D-line rotation.
The Bears, however, don’t have as much depth, so they will give Edwards a spot on the 53-man roster.
Bears Release K Cairo Santos
Cairo Santos‘ time in Chicago didn’t last long. Just a couple weeks after signing with the Bears, the veteran kicker has been informed of his release, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
That being said, that doesn’t mean Santos won’t end up kicking for the team. Kicker Eddy Pineiro has been sidelined by a groin injury, and Biggs writes the team just wanted to have him make the initial 53 so he wouldn’t have to be lost for the season by going on injured reserve. Biggs doesn’t think Pineiro will be ready to kick Week 1, and he thinks the plan may be to re-sign Santos after the weekend and have him kick against Detroit.
Kicking has been a sore spot for the Bears the last few years, and it looks like things are up in the air yet again. Santos was the Chiefs’ kicker from 2014-17, but was replaced following an injury and has bounced around the league since. He spent a couple weeks with Chicago toward the end of the 2017 season, so there’s plenty of familiarity here.



