The Chicago Bears will not be letting No. 1 wide receiver Allen Robinson reach the open market.

Chicago officially placed the franchise tag on Robinson prior to Tuesday's deadline. James Palmer of NFL Network reported the tag should be worth around $16 million.

Although Ian Rapoport suggested the Bears were “never letting [Robinson] go,” the situation is slightly more complicated.

Robinson has tried to barter for a long-term extension since last summer. He said after the 2020 season the two sides had all year to work things out, and suggested he might not be willing to play on the tag.

There is also plenty of fluidity and general unknowns with respect to Chicago's quarterback situation. General manager Ryan Pace said the team could look to bring back Mitchell Trubisky, but the Bears might also be in vigorous pursuit of a trade for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

Regardless, Robinson is certainly worthy of the “franchise player” label.

The 27-year-old posted consecutive seasons with at least 1,100 yards receiving with the Bears. Robinson set a career-high with 102 receptions in 2020, racking up 1,250 yards and six touchdowns with just a two percent drop rate.

The most telling part of Robinson's resume is how he has put up numbers with underwhelming quarterbacks. From Trubisky to Blake Bortles, Robinson has never truly had a top signal-caller throwing him the ball. Yet, he remains one of the best receivers in football.

Chicago would be wise to start making inroads on a long-term deal. The Bears do not want to chance Robinson holding out of camp, given their general lack of depth and quality in the receiving corps.