Roy Robertson-Harris tender confirms he will play for Chicago Bears in 2020
The Chicago Bears tending Roy Robertson-Harris confirms he will play for the Chicago Bears in 2020
Many were unsure what would happen to Roy Robertson-Harris this offseason as he entered free agency. Robertson-Harris was a restricted free agent, meaning that the Chicago Bears would have a chance to tender him and match any offers. However, the Bears are cash strapped and need to save resources.
The Chicago Bears decided to give Roy Robertson a second-round tender, which amounts to a one-year, $3.5 million tag. This means that any team looking to sign Robertson-Harris would have to pay him and give up a second-round pick. That team would have to also let the Bears match the offer is they choose. It is hard to see any team trading a second-round pick for Robertson-Harris, who exploded early into 2019 but proved throughout that he is a nice role player.
An original round tender would have given the Chicago Bears a chance to match any contract on Robertson-Harris but would have only netted the Bears a 7th round pick because RRH was a UDFA. It would have saved the Bears $1.4 million dollars to go this route, but the second-round tender ensures he will stay, while some teams may be able to outpace the Bears and pay the low price of a late draft pick.
Will Roy Robertson-Harris get extended?
It still seems unlikely. Paying the extra $1.4 million to ensure he is on the roster next year is a smart decision. However, the second round tender shows that the Bears know that he would have been a hot commodity if they did place such a high tender on him.
RRH realizes this as well. He knows that in 2021 he will be an unrestricted free agent, and will be able to test a market without a tender. He also knows his play faded in 2019, and a full season of strong work in 2020 could equal more money.
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The Bears also are not going to go out of their way to pay RRH. They know that if a team offered him a market value deal that it would outpace the Bears cap space or else they would have just given an original round tender and matched any deal thrown their way. The Bears are hoping RRH plays up for a new contract, and RRH is confident he can make serious money this season.
Expect Robertson-Harris to sign his second-round tender and play on the one-year, $3.5 million deal.