After they missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year, the Atlanta Falcons are pretty light on representation at the 2026 Pro Bowl games. Star running back Bijan Robinson and offensive guard Chris Lindstrom are the only Pro Bowlers the Falcons have following a disappointing 8-9 campaign.
In just his third NFL season, the 23-year-old back had a sensational season. Bijan broke the franchise record for scrimmage yards with 2,298 and was the beating heart of this offense. And Lindstrom helped make it happen as Atlanta's anchor as a run blocker, so they both earned their Pro Bowl nods.
Bijan is a player that comes with a lot more notoriety, and with that comes responsibility. As the only skill position player representing the Dirty Birds in San Francisco, it gives him a chance to forge relationships with other players at the event... and potentially do some dirty work for Ian Cunningham.
As one of the most respected offensive players in the NFL, Robinson has a lot of sway. So he has a chance to fraternize with some major impending free agents in hopes of helping the Falcons land a top talent, hopefully on the offensive side of the football where they struggled immensely in 2025.
With Kevin Stefanski bringing Tommy Rees with him to run the offense and adding up-and-coming offensive mind Tanner Engstrand to the staff, making a sneaky run at another pass-catcher could be the play. The perfect target? Cowboys' Pro Bowler George Pickens, who is fresh off a monster year.
Bijan Robinson could use the Pro Bowl as a chance to recruit George Pickens to the Falcons in free agency
The 24-year-old came out of Atlanta's backyard and has come a long way since his days of getting into fistfights at Georgia. Since being drafted by Pittsburgh the 52nd pick in the 2022 Draft, Pickens was a good-not-great receiver, but that changed in 2025 after he was traded to Dallas this summer.
He spent three seasons enduring unstable QB play with the Steelers, but was finally unleashed playing with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. His 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns all marked career-highs and he cemented himself as the perfect complement to CeeDee Lamb.
His career was never DOA with the Steelers, it was more a story of what could've been. We all saw his status as a downfield threat emerge with one mind-boggling highlight catch after another, but in Dallas, Brian Schottenheimer let fans know exactly what kind of WR Pickens is capable of being.
All they did was trade a third and fifth-round pick for him and that was a worthwhile investment. The Cowboys' passing offense went from 11th in the NFL in 2024 to second in 2025 after acquiring Pickens, while Atlanta's passing offense went down from fifth in the league in 2024 to 19th in 2025.
The only receiver the Falcons can consistently trust is Drake London, and he spent most of 2025 hurt. They have searching desperately for a running mate for London who will help unlock Michael Penix Jr.'s potential, and the addition of a guy like Pickens is perfect for the strong-armed youngster.
He won't come cheap, as he's likely to command over $30 million per year in free agency and will have several suitors. But Stefanski has the right staff in place to help Penix thrive, so sending Bijan to the Pro Bowl with an ulterior motive help to fix the WR woes in Atlanta is a stroke of genius.