The major positive of drafting three straight skill position players in the top 10 of the NFL Draft is that they'll transcend your offense, but the major downside is that they'll command a lot of money, which is a lesson the Atlanta Falcons are learning firsthand now that all of their stars are circling new deals.
Time is running out for the Falcons to sign Drake London and Bijan Robinson to new contracts, but Kyle Pitts is also in line to hit free agency this offseason. There's a chance they'll be able to retain all three, but it'll be difficult, which led ESPN's Dan Graziano to reveal they're clearly in a financial pickle.
However, the NFL's salary cap did go up and will continue to exponentially increase every year, so that'll make things slightly easier. But having to agree to long-term deals with Bijan, London, and Pitts in the near future could see things get real dicey in Ian Cunningham's first offseason at the helm.
It's no secret the Dirty Birds are planning some major roster moves to shed salary over the next few seasons, which will likely be done to ensure their stars don't go anywhere. And by the looks of it, Cunningham wants to keep all of them around too.
Ian Cunningham and the Falcons are gonna have a really tough time deciding between extending Bijan Robinson and Drake London
London had a down season in 2025 due to injury, but it shouldn't affect his price tag much. As for Bijan, he'll turn 24 on Friday, and would be wise to cash in following a campaign where he broke the franchise record for scrimmage yards, but the shelf life for RBs is shorter compared to wide receivers.
Pitts could be franchise tagged, but all that would do is kick the can down the road for another season. After a bounce-back campaign in 2025, his price tag is higher than it's ever been before, yet it's tough to prioritize his future when some difficult discussions are coming with Bijan and London.
Graziano predicted that Robinson would land a three-year $60 million extension with $25 million guaranteed upon signing, while London would ink a four-year $120 million deal with $35 million guaranteed at signing, which would be a relatively fair price to retain both franchise cornerstones.
Graziano's argument made another solid point: Michael Penix Jr. will be extension-eligible after this season, and the Falcons need to see improvement. The defense has so many players on their rookie deals that they need to capitalize and invest in the offense, especially with a new regime taking over.
Obviously, the one or the other talk is relatively obsolete, as Cunningham and Matt Ryan should and will find a way to keep them both in Atlanta. But the longer the team waits, the higher the price tag gets, so we'll learn a lot about Cunningham through how he navigates some dangerous territory.