Bears WR Allen Robinson wasn’t surprised by contract stalemate

If Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson is using his lack of a long-term contract to motivate himself this season, he isn’t explicitly saying so.

“I’m not going to say that it’s not motivation,” Robinson said after checking into training camp Tuesday. “But I’m not really focused on that. I just want to go out there and be the best player I can be. Everything else when it comes to that stuff, for the most part, will take care of itself. I’m not in this to prove anybody right or wrong. It’s just about going out there . . . and seeing how much I can do and how far I can take myself.”

Robinson is playing on a one-year, $17.9 million franchise tag after he and the Bears were unable to agree on a long-term contract over the course of a year and a half.

“I had said earlier in the offseason that I didn’t really expect anything to come from it,” Robinson said.

Goldman’s back

Nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who opted out of last season because of coronavirus concerns and skipped mandatory minicamp in June, finally returned to Halas Hall on Tuesday. Linebacker Roquan Smith was thrilled to see him; Goldman will help keep blockers off him.

“I’m a big fan of that right now,” Smith said. “Big fan. Very excited about that, to have him back in the middle. I know he plays, commands double-teams. So [I’m] very excited. It’s going to help a lot of people out.”