Allen Robinson could easily be an entitled guy these days. He was drafted in the 2nd round out of Penn State. Then he earned a big contract from the Chicago Bears back in 2018. Now after an excellent 2019, he's set to cash in again. That much personal success can go to the head of certain people. Yet the wide receiver continues to show that he is both unselfish and a leader.
The NFL is still working on plans to help teams combat the spread of COVID-19 in their locker rooms. Not an easy task given football rosters are the largest of any major sport. One mandate that looks like it could become a reality is shaving down from the traditional 90 players to 80 or even 75 going into training camp.
This means several players such as undrafted free agents or low-priced veterans who worked hard to get their opportunities will have to bite the bullet and be released. For some, this could end up being their only shot. To have it ripped away before even stepping foot on a field is just brutal. Robinson for one doesn't think it's necessary.
Allen Robinson has a fair point about this
What is the exact benefit of sending 10 or 15 guys away like that? It doesn't seem like it would decrease the congestion in locker rooms and on the field all that much. Maybe a couple of percentage points at most. For scientists that might be important, but is it really worth robbing some of these young men of their NFL dreams? It seems just a little too cruel. There has to be a better alternative.
The league is trying to compensate in other ways. One is the idea of expanding practice squads from 16 players to 20. That would allow several of the younger players to stay with teams and earn a paycheck. It would at least keep their foot in the door. Jumping from the practice squad to the main roster is tough but many, many players have done it before.
Hopefully the NFL will put further thought into this before making it a reality.
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