It’s not the ideal way to start an introduction but when GM Omar Khan spoke about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ recent trade for WR Allen Robinson II, the conversation began around his health. Robinson suffered a foot fracture that cut his 2022 season short. But Khan said Robinson was recovering well and passed his physical, showing little concern over it.
Speaking to Pittsburgh media for the first time Monday, Robinson said the same, noting his foot is coming along well.
“It’s good, it’s good,” Robinson said via Steelers.com. “It’s coming along. This is actually an injury, on my opposite foot, on the right foot that I dealt with as a rookie. So I have some familiarity with it. And I feel very good about this where I’m at in the process and everything like that.”
Robinson made it only 10 games last year before going down with the foot injury. As he alluded to, he dealt with a similar injury his rookie year, suffering a fracture in 2014 to his other foot. But that didn’t stop him from having a career year in 2015, posting 1,400 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns as he made his first and only Pro Bowl.
Pittsburgh is taking a bit of a risk with a couple of its free agents in a busy offseason. Robinson and LB Cole Holcomb are coming off season-ending foot injuries. Earlier today, GM Omar Khan said the team would take a conservative approach with each, similar to Larry Ogunjobi last year, before fully integrating them into the lineup. It’s the wise move but that will mean fewer reps for new faces trying to acclimate themselves to a new system, especially for someone like Holcomb, who is expected to be an all-situations player and signal caller.
Robinson is expected to be the Steelers’ #3 wide receiver and move around the formation though he could spend plenty of time in the slot. He’ll also serve as a steady veteran presence in a relatively young room. With the addition of Miles Boykin earlier today, the Steelers’ wideout room looks largely settled. Pittsburgh seems far less likely to draft the position than it did two weeks ago. Instead, the Steelers will count on Robinson proving his health, George Pickens making a second-year jump, and Calvin Austin III showing why the team drafted him in the fourth round last season.
