When the Atlanta Falcons signed Bijan Robinson to a three-year, $66.75 million contract extension on Tuesday, everyone's first thought was the same: the running back market is about to be sent into another stratosphere, especially with two other star backs set to receive paydays shortly after.
Bijan may currently be the highest-paid running back in NFL history, but who knows how long that'll last? Jonathan Taylor and Jahmyr Gibbs were both on the docket for new contracts, and while Taylor's two-year, $44 million extension doesn't overtake him on the throne, Gibbs actually might.
The Falcons and Lions were embarking on a mini-arms race to extend their superstar RB first, though the stalemate came since both players wanted the honor of being the highest-paid running back in NFL history. And since Bijan Robinson signed first, it's inevitable that Gibbs will get his payday soon.
Jahmyr Gibbs is next in line to get paid after the Bijan Robinson deal
Like Robinson, Gibbs has been holding in throughout the early days of training camp in hopes of expediting a new extension--although he did return to practice on Thursday before receiving his new deal. However, it's safe to his second contract is coming--and $23 million a year is all it would take to steal that crown.
The debate has been ongoing about whether Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs is the better running back, but right now, it doesn't matter. The former helped the latter. The Dirty Birds managed to reset the running back market with his extension, and it's only a matter of time before the next domino falls.
The 2023 first-round picks have proven that a modern offense can be centered around an elite running back. They're both elite runners and dangerous in the passing game to the point that it's no shock they reset the RB market when they're home-run threats on every play.
The fact of the matter is that as soon as one of them got paid, the other would quickly follow suit in hopes of one-upping them. The Falcons struck first with Bijan, and as the Lions draw closer to extending Gibbs, the better their hopes of ending this stalemate--even with a larger price tag.
While addressing the media for the first time after signing his new extension, Bijan Robinson revealed that one of his goals has been to help restore the running back position to its previous glory. So now that Jonathan Taylor has gotten paid and Jahmyr Gibbs is about to, it's safe to say he succeeded.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that a deal is close--and once Gibbs signs, look out for this Bijan extension to age beautifully.
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