Steelers All 90: Allen Robinson II Looking for Rebound in Pittsburgh
When Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Allen Robinson II signed with the Los Angeles Rams as a free agent in 2022, it was a huge deal — both literally and figuratively. Robinson signed a three-year, $46.5 million deal in L.A. and became the latest haul for a team that never wanted to wait for its own draft picks.
After drafting all-world defensive tackle Aaron Donald, these Rams rose to prominence with a bunch of high-profile trades and free agent signings, and Robinson was supposed to help keep the franchise on top after its 2021 Super Bowl win.
But 2022 was a year to forget for both Robinson and the Rams. Robinson dealt with an injury that cut short his season, and even when he was on the field, he struggled to fit into the offense the way it was envisioned.
“If you’re a fork, you don’t want to be used as a spoon the majority at a time,” Robinson explained during his introductory press conference. “I think that makes it just tough on everybody. But again, I’m very grateful for the opportunity that I had going to L.A., being able to play with Cooper Kupp and some of those guys. I learned a lot from their system, from Cooper. I learned a lot about myself as well. I learned a lot when it came to different routes and conceptualizing different things. So, I mean, those guys have a great staff and have a great team. I took a lot from that experience.”
Experience is one of a number of things Robinson brings to the table in Pittsburgh. The longest-tenured starter on the Steelers’ offense is right tackle Chuks Okorafor. He is only 25 years old. The rest of the offense is mostly made up of second- and third-year players like Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Najee Harris, Dan Moore and Jaylen Warren. Rookies Broderick Jones and Darnell Washington also figure to get involved.
Unlike in Los Angeles, where Robinson was expected to help keep the momentum of a championship going, in Pittsburgh, he’s helping to lay the groundwork for success, and he thinks that role suits him perfectly.
“This will be the first time in my career being able to help these guys out with just some of the experience that I’ve had in different situations on the field and off the field,” Robinson said. “I like to give as much knowledge to some of my younger teammates as possible. For me, being able to be a vet in this League and to be able to play now going into my 10th year, I feel like I’ve gained so much knowledge on the field and off the field that has helped me in my career. I’m always looking forward to passing that along.”
On the field, Robinson will likely play in the slot for the most part. That’s where he seemingly preferred to be cast in L.A. with his fork-spoon comparison, but that spot was taken by Cooper Kupp. In Pittsburgh, 2022 slot men Chase Claypool and Steven Sims are both gone, leaving the spot wide open for Robinson.
Furthermore, unlike those players, Robinson has had plenty of experience and production as an outside receiver, meaning that the Steelers can move Pickens and Diontae Johnson around to get the best possible matchups without giving away their intentions based on the personnel coming onto the field.
“I think we have the ability to have many different presentations,” Robinson said. “It becomes difficult to kind of just key on guys. It’s the same thing with run and pass. We have some bigger receivers who can get in there and dig out safeties and be involved in the run game. That makes it hard to say run-pass and what you’re doing. It’s very unpredictable.”
In that regard, Robinson might be talking about himself. Of wide receivers with at least 100 blocking reps in 2022, Robinson was rated as the 12th-best blocker by Pro Football Focus, really bringing up the average of the group that includes Johnson (21st) and Pickens (87th). Claypool and Sims were 100th and 71st last year, respectively.
The fit seems perfect in Pittsburgh for Robinson as he hopes to revitalize his career after a seriously disappointing 2022. Now healthy, he’s in a place where he can showcase his leadership, fits better into the offense, and fills an important need as a physical presence in the slot.
11 • Allen Robinson II, Wide Receiver, Penn State
6-foot-2, 210 pounds, 29 years old, 10th Season
Acquired: The Steelers traded their seventh-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, pick No. 234, to the Rams for Robinson and their supplemental seventh-round pick, No. 251. The Rams drafted Oklahoma State safety Jason Taylor II with pick No. 234. The Steelers landed Maryland offensive lineman Spencer Anderson with pick No. 251. The Steelers restructured the contract of Robinson after the trade.
Last season: After spending four seasons in Chicago, Robinson signed a three-year, $46.5 million contract with the defending Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams on March 17, 2022. Robinson expected to be a key player on the Rams offense alongside Cooper Kupp but his time as a member of the team did not go as planned. Robinson started 10 games for the Rams before being placed on to the injured reserve in late November, effectively ending his season. In his lone season in Los Angeles, Robinson recorded 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns.
Career: The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Robinson in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Robinson posted career-highs in yards (1,400) and touchdowns (14) in just his second year in the league. Robinson earned Pro Bowl honors in 2015 as he co-led the NFL in receiving touchdowns. In his fourth year and last with the Jaguars, Robinson played in only one game because he tore his ACL in his left knee during the team’s first game of the regular season.
In 2018, Robinson signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Bears. The receiver’s first year in Chicago was not spectacular but he followed it up with a 98 catch, 1,100 yard season just a year later. Robinson’s best season as a Bear came in 2020 when he caught over 100 passes and broke the 1,000 yard mark for the third time in his career. The Bears placed the franchise tag on Robinson prior to the 2021 season but after his production dipped while playing on the tag, the two parties went their seperate ways in the offseason.
| Year | GP | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R | Catch % | PFF |
| 2014 | 10 | 48 | 548 | 2 | 11.4 | 59.3% | 69.4 |
| 2015 | 16 | 80 | 1,400 | 14 | 17.5 | 53.0% | 84.0 |
| 2016 | 16 | 73 | 883 | 6 | 12.1 | 48.3% | 69.8 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17.0 | 100% | 88.3 |
| 2018 | 13 | 55 | 754 | 4 | 13.7 | 58.5% | 74.7 |
| 2019 | 16 | 98 | 1,147 | 7 | 11.7 | 63.6% | 80.8 |
| 2020 | 16 | 102 | 1,250 | 6 | 12.3 | 67.5% | 88.4 |
| 2021 | 12 | 38 | 410 | 1 | 10.8 | 57.6% | 66.9 |
| 2022 | 10 | 33 | 339 | 3 | 10.3 | 63.5% | 65.8 |
College: Robinson was a freshman during Joe Paterno’s final season as head coach of Penn State. In his freshman season, he appeared in 11 games, mostly as a special teamer, but caught three passes.
Robinson was catapulted into the spotlight for the 2012 season due to other receivers leaving the Penn State program. In his first full season as a starter in college, Robinson posted 77 catches for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. Robinson followed that up with an All-American campaign in 2013 as he recorded 97 catches for 1,432 yards and six touchdowns.
| Year | GP | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R |
| 2011 | 11 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 9.7 |
| 2012 | 12 | 77 | 1,018 | 11 | 13.2 |
| 2013 | 12 | 97 | 1,432 | 6 | 14.8 |
Salary cap and future: Robinson will count for $3.0825 million against the Steelers’ 2023 salary cap. He is signed through the end of the 2024 season, with a $10 million salary, and $1.9175 million in deferred signing bonus due to him in 2024. He will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season.
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