Chicago Bears defensive end Dominique Robinson was a healthy scratch last week against the Green Bay Packers. That could signal the end of his time in Chicago.
Hope is a bad four-letter word for the Chicago Bears and their fans. After General Manager Ryan Poles overhauled the offense this offseason, many people had high hopes that the team could finally compete for a playoff spot and once again become a dominant force in the NFL.
Well, that has not worked out. The Bears are currently on a four-game losing streak. The offense has struggled to score points. Their rookie quarterback sensation has not thrown a touchdown pass on US soil since Week 5. The offensive line is in shambles (perhaps Poles should have thought about shoring up that position).
This season has quickly gone down the toilet.
There was a player the Chicago Bears drafted who brought in hope himself. The Chicago Bears drafted defensive end Dominique Robinson in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. He was a big, raw talent who started as a wide receiver and shifted to defensive end. The Bears hoped to develop his elite athleticism so he could be a force at the edge.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
That also has not worked out.
Robinson had a terrific start of his career. He registered 1.5 sacks in his first professional game. He was quick and athletic and strong. There were thoughts that maybe the Chicago Bears found a diamond in the rough. Instead, his career has just been plain rough.
In the 29 games after his debut, Robinson has just half a sack. He has not been able to get many meaningful snaps to showcase his talents. After playing in all 17 games his rookie season and starting seven, he played 11 in his sophomore season with no starts. This season he has played in just two games, accumulating only 38 snaps.
Robinson started one of those games this season. He started in Week 9 for Montez Sweat, who missed the game due to a shin injury. In that game, Robinson had just 3 tackles and nothing else. He had been inactive for the previous seven games this season. The Bears put him in rotation the following week and had one tackle.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Then, in Week 11, the Chicago Bears had Robinson listed as inactive once again. That made it eight inactive designations in ten games.
It does not look like he is in the team’s future plans. The Chicago Bears have been looking for an effective defensive end opposite of Sweat to help him get to the quarterback. The fact that they had hope in him and then lost that hope while still looking for someone is an indictment on Robinson.
With the season quickly becoming a lost one for the Chicago Bears, you’d expect them to at least get a hard look at what he could do. It appears that they have seen enough and have decided to move on from that experiment. There were reports that the team “fielded trade options” for Robinson ahead of the trade deadline but nothing came to fruition.
© Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears have multiple edge rushers ahead of Robinson. DeMarcus Walker, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy, Darrell Taylor, and Jacob Martin are all getting playing time over him. It seems that Robinson might have played his final snap with the team. The Bears will only try to add other edge rushers this offseason so he likely will not return.
It is puzzling that Poles and the Chicago Bears did not find a trade partner for Robinson. They could have picked up something, anything, for him. Now they face losing him for nothing in return. As bad as the season has progressed, this mistake is par for the course for the Chicago Bears’ 2024 season.
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