The marriage between Kevin Stefanski and the Atlanta Falcons is bound to work for one main reason: Bijan Robinson. Stefanski loves the run game, so equipping him with one of the most physically gifted running backs in NFL history is bound to be what breaks the Falcons' eight-year postseason drought.
Bijan, who is likely circling a long-term extension in Atlanta, seems to be excited about the Stefanski hire, but the excitement goes both ways. During a guest appearance on the Rich Eisen Show during the combine, Eisen asked him about coaching Bijan, and Stefanski gave his new star RB rave reviews.
"I can't wait to coach him. I've had a lot of conversations with him, he was in the building and we talked, but this guy's wired the right way. He's all ball, all the time. Forget how physically gifted he is, which we all know and we all see. I can't tell you how pumped I am to coach this young man, and for us as an offensive staff to put a system with this guy in mind. The impact he has in the building, just being the person that he is, is off the charts... There's no shortage to the things we can do with him."Kevin Stefanski
He was glowing when Eisen asked him about Bijan, so you just know that he's in for another monster season. And this hasn't been something that was only in this interview, every single time the 43-year-old has been asked about his new offensive cornerstone, he's been like this, and you can't blame him.
Given the 24-year-old is now eligible for a new long-term extension, it feels like a foregone conclusion he will soon cash in. The only question is if he'll be able to get a deal done before Jahmyr Gibbs does in Detroit, but Stefanski could force Ian Cunningham's hand in contract negotiations regardless.
Kevin Stefanski's love for Bijan Robinson is gonna help him land a major payday
If you thought Stefanski was only trying to cater this offense around Michael Penix Jr.'s strengths, you have another thing coming. Even as a running back, the Texas Longhorns star is the heartbeat of this Atlanta offense because if they ever got rid of him or didnt have him, his absence would be badly felt.
The two-time Coach of the Year has worked with elite RBs before in Nick Chubb and Dalvin Cook, but Bijan is on another level. In 2025, he recorded nearly 2,300 scrimmage yards before his 24th birthday. He's on a legitimate gold jacket trajectory and deserves a contract worth north of $20M a year.
Stefanski has plenty of class for his comments, too. In Eisen's follow-up question, he praised Zac Robinson and the Dirty Birds' previous offensive staff for their utilization of him. And honestly, that's the only thing Robinson deserves praise for given how brutal the offense was with him calling plays.
There's no telling how much this offense will rely upon him (it will probably be a lot), especially with Tyler Allgeier likely to hit free agency, which could affect his market price as well. With no legit RB2 to spell him, Stefanski may be forced to use his star back more than some fans are comfortable with.
With Bill Callahan coming to Atlanta, the Falcons are going to be more physical around the line of scrimmage, which could add another wrinkle to his game. He's already talked about among the best running backs in the NFL, but this new system could only get more out of his generational skillset.
Running backs typically have a short shelf life and aren't always deserving of big-money contracts, but based on both Stefanski's words and his visceral impact on the offense, Bijan is one of the few RBs who you can tailor your offensive vision around and he deserves to be compensated as such.