One of the biggest decisions the Atlanta Falcons will have to make this offseason is whether or not they will extend Bijan Robinson. He is not just the most important player the Falcons have on offense, but is the most important player on the roster so must get a deal done sooner rather than later after he shattered records in 2025.
Over the years, there have been narratives surrounding the belief that paying running backs is a mistake, but that discussion point is finally being put to rest. That started with Saquon Barkley last season, but the Seattle Seahawks added fuel to the fire in their Super Bowl LX victory on Sunday.
In the 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots, it was the running game that spurred Seattle to victory. And to add insult to injury? Seahawks' star running back Kenneth Walker III is circling a major payday next month after being named Super Bowl MVP because he ran for a game-high 135 yards.
Kenneth Walker's Super Bowl MVP performance is forcing the Falcons to extend Bijan Robinson
The fourth-year back is set to hit free agency, but is forcing the Seahawks to retain him. Walker rushed for over 1,000 yards this past season but he shined in the playoffs, logging over 100 rushing yards per game across Seattle's playoff run, including a three-touchdown game against the Niners.
Seattle will be without Zach Charbonnet for basically all of 2026, so that makes extending the 25-year-old all the more important, especially when their offensive identity comes via the ground game and several other RB-needy teams could be interested in making a run at the Michigan State star.
Spotrac projects his market value at four years and $36 million, which comes in at exactly $9 million per season. That would make Walker III one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL, but the $12 million per season price tag Josh Jacobs received in Green Bay is more in line with K9's market value.
If Walker gets $12 million a year, there's no telling how much Bijan will sign for. There's been talk of him signing a deal in the $20 million per year ballpark, so if Seattle's star RB cashes in and Ian Cunningham waits to ink a new deal with Bijan, his price tag could end up increasing exponentially.
There's reason to believe that paying RBs actually works for contending teams, so hopefully Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski received the memo. Rather than letting a generational talent leave, they should follow in Seattle's footsteps and pony up whatever cash needed to get a deal done.