NFL teams are allowed to begin using the franchise tag on pending in-house free agents beginning Tuesday, but don’t expect the Bears to be among the teams using the tag.
The Bears don’t have any obvious candidates for the franchise tag, with the exception of wide receiver Allen Robinson, who was tagged last year.
Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Robinson had his worst season with the Bears. He struggled with injuries, developing chemistry with Justin Fields and essentially became invisible last season. Robinson had just 38 catches for 410 yards and one touchdown in 12 games.
It certainly didn’t help matters that former general manager Ryan Pace failed to reward Robinson with the contract extension he believe he deserved after two sensational seasons in a bad offense.
While there’s been some slight hope that a fresh start could be enough to lure Robinson back to Chicago, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the case. The Bears are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Robinson again, which means Robinson is free to explore the free agent market next month.
With free agency less than a month away, there are still a number of pending free agents that the Bears have some decisions to make in regards to their future — including offensive lineman James Daniels and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols.
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