The Atlanta Falcons have already extended Drake London and Kyle Pitts this summer, and the next move is to lock down the final member of their holy trinity on offense for the long-term in Bijan Robinson. Thankfully, a new extension for Bijan is more a matter of when, not if, a deal gets done.
And it's starting to seem like a lucrative contract extension is much closer than we think. During the Falcons' first day of training camp, the All-Pro running back was seen in uniform but wasn't practicing--and it later came out that Jahmyr Gibbs is also not practicing today for the Detroit Lions.
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and Falcons RB Bijan Robinson both are not practicing today. Both running backs have had conversations during the off-season about a potential long-term contract. pic.twitter.com/T4JjLsH6CY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 29, 2026
And since these are the two backs vying to become the highest-paid RB in NFL history, it doesn't exactly sound like either of their absences are injury related. It seems like they're contract related, and assuming this is the truth, both of them are nearing the finish line in their quest for a payday.
Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are both very close to new extensions
The race between the two franchises to extend their superstar running backs is weirdly paradoxical. While both the Falcons and Lions want to get deals done sooner and ensure their star RB gets paid first, the running backs (and their teams) want to get paid second since that's where more money is.
The Dirty Birds are already aware that a new contract for Robinson (and the Gibbs issue) is going to send the running back market into another universe, but they know they can't afford not to extend the best back in the NFL. That's the kind of franchise-altering talent you want to keep for years to come.
Currently, Saquon Barkley is the highest-paid running back in NFL history at roughly $20.8 million per year, but both Bijan and Gibbs are expected to clear that number. But given they both want to wait while the Falcons nd Lions want to get a deal done sooner, something is gonna have to give if they're both not practicing.
Ultimately, its sounded for a while now that the league's best young running backs will sign lucrative contract extensions before the summer ends, and this is just confirmation of that. This isn't exactly a hold-out but more of a hold-in--a trend that has become more prevalent in camp in recent seasons.
Bijan Robinson is coming off of a season where he led the NFL with nearly 2,300 scrimmage yards and finished as an Offensive Player of the Year finalist. He's an elite runner, a dangerous receiver, and the face of this offense-- so Ian Cunningham must pay him regardless of the Jahmyr Gibbs-sized elephant in the room that's been complicating matters.
You don't pay every running back, but you pay these two. And thankfully, it sounds like this saga is nearing it's end.
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