The Atlanta Falcons got back on track with a 35-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night and a lot of the credit will go to the return of Michael Penix Jr. But if Penix’s return lit the match for the Falcons’ offense Bijan Robinson was the player that doused it in gasoline and lit the fuse.
Robinson was unstoppable going up against a Packer defense that came into Thursday allowing just 2.9 yards per carry, running for 194 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. After signing a three-year, $66.75 million extension that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history this summer, Robinson is proving to be worth every penny and could be the player that keeps the Falcons’ offense burning bright after Week 3.
The Falcons’ gamble with Bijan Robinson is already paying off
Based on his resume alone, Robinson deserved the massive contract he signed last August. Through his first three seasons, Robinson ran for 3,910 yards and 25 touchdowns while catching 198 passes for 1,738 yards and nine touchdowns. Those numbers also included back-to-back seasons of over 1,400 yards with a career-high 1,478 yards coming last season, making him one of the top running backs in the NFL alongside Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs.
Despite the production, there were a few hangups with the deal. The first was that the Falcons exercised Robinson’s fifth-year option as a former first-round pick. While the deal ensured he would stay in Atlanta through the 2027 season, Robinson wanted to get a deal done to the point where he “held in” during the early days of training camp.
Robinson’s contract also overcame the stigma of paying running backs. After players like Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley and Le’Veon Bell fell off a cliff after signing big extensions a decade ago, some front offices overcorrected themselves, taking fliers on low-cost free agents and late-round draft picks as opposed to the heavy investment the Falcons made by taking Robinson with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
With Robinson also likely to reset the market, it was also believed that paying Robinson the $22.25 million AAV would take away from premium positions like edge rusher, offensive tackle and cornerback. But the Falcons paid Robinson and performances like the one he had on Thursday made them glad they did.
Bijan Robinson continues to be the focal point of the Falcons’ offense
There’s a long way for Robinson’s contract to play out as he is signed through the 2030 season. But even if he wears down over the life of the contract, the Falcons are enjoying an elite player in his prime at the beginning of the deal.
That’s enough for defenses to key in on Robinson like the Packers tried to do on Thursday. But doing so gave Penix the ability to target plays downfield. Drake London was the main beneficiary, finishing the evening with nine catches for 194 yards and if he is going to play like that, it should give Robinson even more lanes to run free.
Such a development is great news for the Falcons offense, who struggled to get out of its own way during the first two weeks of the season. But with Robinson playing at an elite level, it could be enough to get Atlanta out of its early hole and back into contention this season and potentially for years to come.
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