Bijan Robinson may have just poured cold water on Tommy Rees' play-calling hopes

The expectation was that Tommy Rees would be calling plays for the Atlanta Falcons in 2026. Hell, Kevin Stefanski himself confirmed it during his introductory press conference, but it doesn't seem like superstar running back Bijan Robinson received the memo on that... at least that's what it seems like.

While catching up with 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, the 10-time Pro-Bowler was heard asking Bijan about Atlanta's new coach. After notifying Juszczyk that Stefanski was the man the Falcons hired, he went on to divulge some information to him that doesn't feel like a customary slip of the tongue.

"He's fire, bro," was his initial response, which warranted a positive response from Juszczyk, but the next sentence that left his mouth is where things get dicey. He said that Stefanski, not Tommy Rees is going to be the Falcons' play-caller, which doesn't add up with everything we heard in that presser.

Bijan Robinson reveals that Kevin Stefanski might be the Falcons' play-caller after all

The 23-year-old is fresh off of a historic season and is ready to build on that with the new regime. It's promising to know that Bijan is a fan of the direction this team is headed, especially since he's eligible for a new extension later this offseason and wouldn't re-sign if he wasn't a believer in Stefanski.

In all honesty, there isn't a massive difference between Stefanski or Rees calling plays. Regardless of who is actually wearing the headset on Sundays, the Dirty Birds will run the same offensive scheme, so this is kind of a pointless debate, but is a really bizarre way to receive intel on the HC-OC dynamic.

Either way, Bijan stands to benefit from the scheme change, since unlike Zac Robinson, the 43-year-old is a coach who won't rely solely on his talent in the run game. His wide zone scheme is one of the most effective in football, so the Falcons are expected to be more physical in the run game in 2026.

Elite running backs like Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb have thrived in the two-time Coach of the Year's scheme, so part of his excitement is because he knows he will be utilized better than ever before. That's a really low bar, but at least Bijan knows this offense finally has a vision under this new regime.

I find it incredibly hard to believe that Bijan either didn't see the press conference or that one clip, or wasn't told about the plans for Rees to call plays to begin with. I also don't see this being a battle of egos, since Stefanski willingly gave up play-calling, so maybe this is all just a miscommunication.