NFL Rumors: Why Allen Robinson Signed With Rams Over Eagles

Allen Robinson had a strange season in his first year with the Los Angeles Rams, but he reportedly could have called the Philadelphia Eagles his home if not for this act.

The veteran wide receiver moved on from the Chicago Bears, and there was a belief he could turn his career around after a disappointing 2021. That did not end up being the case as Robinson finished the season on injured reserve. He caught 33 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.

It was symbolic of a disaster of a season following a Super Bowl victory. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald also finished the season on injured reserve, and the Rams went 5-12 in 2022.

The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue published a feature Thursday detailing the entire Rams season and Sean McVay’s journey away and back to Los Angeles.

Part of that feature included one detail on Robinson’s recruitment to the Rams.

“Robinson was on the verge of signing with the Eagles at the time,” team and league sources told The Athletic in September. “But after a late-night phone call, McVay’s, Stafford’s and Kupp’s enthusiasm — and the role they described to him as a high-volume No. 2 receiver in the Rams offense — swayed Robinson to sign a three-year, $46.5 million contract.”

The nine-year wide receiver did not end up with that role on the team. It’s possible Robinson was not a fit on McVay’s system. The veteran might have taken a deeper fall in his career than fans anticipated, or Stafford simply had tunnel vision toward Kupp.

The Eagles offense certainly performed well without Robinson, and his potential involvement in Super Bowl LVII likely wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the game. Though, Philadelphia fans taking a victory lap shows hindsight analysis since the Rams’ signing of Robinson was seen as a big deal by the majority in the NFL.

However, this might have free agents think twice about signing in Los Angeles, specifically if McVay, Stafford or Kupp make a passionate pitch.