Since the Atlanta Falcons lacked a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Falcons fans were able to sit back and enjoy the mistakes other teams made. And that started with the Arizona Cardinals, who drafted Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third pick despite not having a need at RB.
But in a weird way, the Love pick affected the Falcons in more ways than you would think. Not only is it expected to relegate former Atlanta running back Tyler Allgeier to a complimentary role in his first season in Arizona, it could also have an adverse effect on Bijan Robinson's hopes of a new extension.
The 20-year-old has yet to take a single snap, but is already the NFL's highest-paid running back. Because he was the third pick in the draft, he'll make $50.437 million across the first four seasons of his rookie contract, so his rookie deal is only going to continue the impending reset of the RB market.
Jeremiyah Love's historic rookie deal will make it harder for the Falcons to extend Bijan Robinson
It's worth noting that Love's rookie deal is fully guaranteed, meaning not only is he the highest-paid RB in the NFL, he's also set to make the most guaranteed money at the position in NFL history. And that's gonna set the stage for some backs vying for extensions to receive some major paydays now.
As a rookie, Love is making nearly $13 million a year. which is good for the seventh-highest paid RB annually. So if this is money he's getting what are the other dual-threat backs gonna get when it comes down to it? The Texas product is about to get a market-shattering deal from the Falcons.
You may be wondering, 'how does this relate to Bijan?' but I can assure you, it does. Of the running backs in pursuit of new deals, he's clearly the most talented, so his price tag will be the most expensive, which shows the urgency for Ian Cunningham and the Dirty Birds to get a deal done ASAP.
But it's not only Robinson who could be affected. It's a race to the dotted line with Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions and De'Von Achane of the Miami Dolphins, and all three of them are expected to land new deals in the $20 million a year ballpark at some point after the 2026 NFL Draft wraps up.
And the longer these wait, the more expensive a deal will get, especially if you're last to sign an extension. So even though he's under contract through 2027 due to the fifth-year option, the 24-year-old is on a gold jacket trajectory, and you don't risk waiting too long to extend a guy like him.
Love is another guy that while he's been compared to Atlanta's superstar RB, is gonna to further reset the market in three years. As an elite runner and elite receiver, he's a player you can mold your entire offense around, and the reigning Doak Walker Award Winner is the latest player to show off the evolution of the running back position and its' new prevalence in the modern NFL, just like Bijan did.
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