We are in the midst of contract extension season for the Atlanta Falcons. Instead of it raining water, it's raining money. The Falcons already extended Drake London a couple of weeks back, and now Kyle Pitts is getting his payday, inking a three-year contract worth $54 million with $36 million guaranteed.
So in terms of the flurry of deals Atlanta has to get done, it's two down, four to go. Ian Cunningham still has to think about long-term deals with Bijan Robinson, Jessie Bates III, Divine Deablo, and Matthew Bergeron, all of whom are entering contract years except Bijan, who's now extension eligible.
When the Falcons signed London to an extension, the running belief was that Robinson would be next in line. Bijan was expecting as such, and so was London, but ultimately, the urgency of extending a player who's contract window was on more of a ticking clock turned out to be the bigger priortity.
Bijan Robinson has to be next in line after Falcons extended Kyle Pitts
Money is no issue, as the Dirty Birds have enough 2027 cap space to sign all three of them to deals, but the fact that Bijan Robinson is the last of these three offensive cornerstones to sign an extension feels weird. He's undoubtedly the most important to the offense, so why wait on this one?
The 24-year-old is coming off of a season which was riddled with accolades. He finished with a league-leading 2,298 scrimmage yards, was an All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, and was an Offensive Player of the Year finalist. If this offense had a heartbeat, you may as well call it Bijan Robinson. He does it all.
He's a dangerous runner, an elite receiver, and should only improve in Kevin Stefanski's wide-zone system perfect for his skillset. With a world-class talent like Bijan, you don't want him even sniff free agency. Talents like his come around every so often, and he's well on his way to earning a gold jacket.
And it appears that the fourth-year back will shatter the existing RB market on a new deal. He should surpass Saquon Barkley to become the new highest-paid running back in NFL history. That $20.6 million price tag Barkley makes is child's play, Bijan could approach $25 million in AAV on a new deal.
Compared to the $35.25 million a year London will make and the $18 million a year Pitts makes, extending Bijan is a value play. The Falcons can take advantage of a slow market to extend the Texas product and ensure they keep him in town through the rest of his prime.
Now that Drake London and Kyle Pitts are locked up, it's only a matter of time before Bijan Robinson follows suit with his own payday. Everyone knows it's coming, so why wait?
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