To say that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver room lacks stability right now is more than apt. George Pickens and Calvin Austin III are safe bets to return in 2024. Currently, Diontae Johnson is the subject of a great deal of speculation, a possible trade candidate.
Then there’s Allen Robinson II, who by no means merits the $10 million base salary he’s due for 2024. We know there’s virtually no chance he remains under contract on that deal. But he’s still on the roster even after the Steelers cut four others for salary cap reasons merged with performance. That may be for good reason.
“Allen Robinson is a potential cut candidate due to his cap number exceeding $10 million, but the Pittsburgh Steelers would prefer to retain him at a reduced salary”, writes Ari Meirov for The 33rd Team. “Team officials met with Robinson’s representation in Indianapolis”.
That’s not exactly a stretch. Robinson attended the NFL Scouting Combine and offered some commentary during the NFL Network broadcast. If he was on hand, it doesn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to picture his representatives there, too. To the best of my knowledge, he did not discuss his contract status on the air.
The Steelers traded for Robinson a year ago with the Los Angeles Rams. They had signed him in 2022 to a three-year contract they quickly regretted. Just to get a deal done, they accepted a swap of draft picks and ate much of his 2023 salary. For his part, Robinson also withdrew a $5 million roster bonus originally due in 2024.
But his contract still features $10 million in compensation for the 2024 season in base salary. He knows the Steelers won’t pay him that after catching 34 passes for 280 yards and no touchdowns. Presumably, he also knows that nobody else will either.
It stands to reason that Robinson, now 30 years old, would be amenable to renegotiating his contract. His prospects outside of Pittsburgh are unlikely to favor a new windfall. He likes playing for head coach Mike Tomlin, and the Steelers value his leadership and other attributes.
Because he waived his roster bonus, the Steelers are not pressed for time to rework his contract. If anybody is in a hurry, Robinson should be because he has to find a new deal otherwise. They just need to find an agreeable number because if they can’t, he has to find a new team. And the longer he waits, the harder that task becomes.
Like the rest of the wide receivers, Robinson controlled little of his circumstances in 2023. A poorly schemed offense married to mediocre or worse quarterback play left little on the plate for them to eat. He is certainly past his prime and far from his Pro Bowl days, but he managed 339 yards in 10 games a year earlier in less-than-ideal circumstances.
If there is any truth to the notion of the Steelers moving Johnson, they will want to keep Robinson around all the more. Not to take over as a starter but simply for depth that already seems lacking heading into the new league year.
