Amik Robertson, after another losing season with the Las Vegas Raiders, was home last January watching the NFC Championship Game between the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers. He was rooting for the Lions, due to his friendship with Kindle Vildor.
As it turned out, the two teams would play a big role in the free agency decision he made less than two months later.
This week, Robertson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press the Lions contacted him on the first day of free agency in March. When a deal wasn't reached immediately, he fielded other offers. A potentially more lucrative offer from the 49ers was out there. He told his agent he wasn't ready to sign with the 49ers just yet, as he preferred Detroit.
Robertson ultimately signed a two-year, $9.5 million deal with the Lions on the second day of free agency.
Robertson has been a nice fit in the Lions' secondary, playing in the slot initially despite mostly playing outside (and doing so effectively) in his last year or two with the Raiders. He moved to playing primarily outside in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears, in the wake of Carlton Davis being sidelined by a broken jaw, playing a season-high 63 snaps with eight total tackles and two pass breakups.
Amik Robertson knew he belonged with the Lions
Upon officially signing with the Lions, Robertson talked about how Dan Campbell's coaching style appealed to him. He reiterated that idea to Birkett this past week, as a tentacle of how much he wanted to land in Detroit.
"That’s where my heart was,” Robertson said. “I wanted to be here. The style, when I watched this team play, the style that Dan (Campbell), that he plays with, this don’t-give-a-(expletive) attitude, I fit in perfect. And first day they reached out, we couldn’t really — whatever. They called again the second day, I was like, ‘This is where I’m going.’ Like, ‘This is where my heart (is).’ Other teams was calling the first day, I’m like, ‘I’m going to wait out for the Lions."
Robertson also told Birkett he likely would've ended up in San Francisco if the Lions hadn't been in the picture. From a sheer team success perspective this year, his desire to be in Detroit over anywhere else proved to be very correct ahead of Monday night's rematch. When the Lions circled back to him after the first day of free agency, the deal was done.