Like Allen Robinson II, the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Allen Robinson II
Position: Wide Receiver
Experience: 10 Years
I’ve got to be honest with you: I often forget that Allen Robinson II is on the team, much like I did during the regular season. And yet he played the sixth-most snaps on offense all year. Only the four offensive linemen who didn’t lose or gain jobs and WR George Pickens played more.
Sure, injuries, demotions, and promotions played a part in that, but he still logged 771 snaps. That is a lot of playing time by any standard. It’s an awful lot of playing time for a wide receiver who recorded 280 receiving yards.
The Steelers acquired the veteran wide receiver via trade with the Los Angeles Rams last April. The two teams swapped seventh-round picks while the Rams paid most of Robinson’s remaining salary.
The Penn State product also agreed to remove a $5 million signing bonus that would been due in 2024 to facilitate the deal. He said he was willing to do “whatever I needed to do” to get it done.
Robinson came along with much excitement, giving the offense the experienced veteran presence needed at wide receiver. By all accounts, he proved to be beneficial in the locker room. Still, at the end of the day, he did not produce much as a pass catcher.
That’s not all his fault. They didn’t use him a ton outside of short routes. He ultimately only drew 49 targets, catching 34 passes for 280 yards. For the first time in his career in which he played more than one game, he did not score.
Now 30 years old and heading into Year 10, Robinson is likely to be looking for a new team. He has a $10 million base salary on the books for 2024. At the very least, he will have to continue to be agreeable on the financial front if he wants to stay in Pittsburgh because the Steelers can’t possibly retain him at that rate. Unless new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has some kind of master plan for him.
