Brooke PryorESPN staff writer3 minutes to read
Why the NFL Draft’s WR class led to the Steelers’ interest in Allen Robinson
Dan Graziano responds to the report that Allen Robinson will join the Steelers in anticipation of a physical game.
Pittsburgh – in The Steelers are expected to trade for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Allen Robinson, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
In the trade, which is dependent on Robinson passing a physical, the Steelers will get Robinson and a seventh-round (No. 251) pick for a seventh-round pick (No. 234), sources told Schefter.
Sources said Robinson is scheduled to undergo a physical exam Wednesday in Pittsburgh. According to sources, the Rams will pay $10.25 million of Robinson’s guaranteed $15.25 million salary for the 2023 season, and the Steelers will pay the remaining $5 million.
Robinson, 29, would become another experienced player the Steelers acquired this season. A team that typically builds through the draft, the Steelers have been bold in free agency under new General Manager Omar Khan, signing veterans like cornerback Patrick Peterson, who is entering his 13th season, and point guard Isaac Somalo. Robinson would become the third most experienced member of the Steelers roster behind Peterson and defensive lineman Cameron Hayward, who also played 12 seasons (all with Pittsburgh).
Robinson signed a three-year, $46.5 million contract with the Rams in their final offseason, but finished the year on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury late in the season. Robinson injured his left ankle against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, and tests taken the following week revealed a stress fracture in the foot. He underwent surgery and missed the last six games.
In his only season with the Rams, Robinson caught 33 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.
Before joining the Rams last year in free agency, Robinson spent four years with both the Bears and Jaguars and earned a Pro Bowl nod with Jacksonville’s breakout season in 2015, when he notched 14 touchdowns and 1,400 yards. Robinson was consistently productive as Chicago’s top receiver for most of his four seasons with the Bears, reaching 3,561 yards and 18 touchdowns in 57 games. He has also been a mentor to Bears receiver Darnell Mooney, especially in 2021, and helped Mooney to his first 1,000-yard receiving season.
His addition would give a young Steelers wide receiver room, already a powerhouse, and a veteran sound. Robinson will be the oldest wide receiver of the bunch and numbers to be an important presence for George Pickens in the 2022 second round.