Production from veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II might not have been what was expected as a pass-catching weapon for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that didn’t hinder Robinson and the Steelers from having a great experience together in 2023.
Speaking to reporters Thursday from the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Steelers’ GM Omar Khan stated that the Steelers had a great experience with Robinson last season, adding that it was clearly seen what impact Robinson had for the Steelers in the run game. He did not, however, answer the second part of the Robinson question asked by Steelers Depot’s own Jonathan Heitritter regarding expectations for Robinson in 2024.
“Allen, we had a great experience with him this year. He came in, we made the trade, it was fun,” Khan said of Robinson. “I mean, you guys saw the impact he had on the run game. It’s been a great experience with him so far.”
“So far” is a very peculiar way to end that answer from Khan’s perspective.
Though the Steelers are salary cap compliant, Robinson remains a popular salary cap casualty due to his $10 million cap hit. Spending $10 million in 2024 for a receiver that had just 34 receptions for 280 yards last season seems like a bit of a mistake regarding the cap. But that’s why Khan gets the big bucks, to make those financial decisions for the Steelers and the salary cap.
While he wasn’t exactly the impact receiver the Steelers were expecting when they swapped seventh-round picks with the Los Angeles Rams to acquire him, he stepped into a key role as a blocker in the run game for the Black and Gold, playing quite well in a relatively new role.
Despite the limited production, Robinson remained a strong leader for the Steelers on a young offense, and played better down the stretch once Mason Rudolph stepped into the starting lineup for Pittsburgh, including a 4-reception, 36-yard output against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16.
We’ll see if Khan and the Steelers want to continue that relationship with Robinson. They’ve spoken highly of the veteran receiver every chance they’ve gotten this offseason, but a tough decision awaits.
