The Atlanta Falcons' best player over the last three seasons is undoubtedly Bijan Robinson, but offensive coordinator Zac Robinson somehow doesn't understand the resource at his disposal. And earlier this week, Robinson confessed his indecisiveness regarding the inconsistent usage of his star.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson on managing running back Bijan Robinson's workload when his is such a dynamic player: "It's a blessing and a curse at the same time. We've done so many things with him throughout the year, building the offense around him. ... But there…
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) December 3, 2025
Is he used in the pass game too much? Should he be used less? So many questions go into it, but the second-year OC doesn't know the answers. So far, Bijan has been one of the lone bright spots in a pitiful Falcons' offense, and his usage has started to garner some controversy.
Rewind to 2023, and controversy surrounded his usage every game. Yes, that was a different coaching staff, but he was rarely used inside the goal line and constantly split carries with Tyler Allgeier. It was drama left and right.
In 2025, Bijan is enjoying one of the best seasons of his young career, but his offensive coordinator doesn't even know when (or how) to use his skill set.
Zac Robinson's mismanagement of Bijan Robinson proves he's in over his head with the Falcons
So far, he's been used in the passing game much more, for multiple reasons. Of course, the 23-year-old is a fantastic receiving back with elite speed, quick cuts, and generational talent. But he's also the second-best receiver on the team, and he's the starting running back.
For example, with Drake London out in Week 13, three undrafted receivers took the field and each caught a pass or two in the loss to the Jets. Robinson outproduced all of them through the air and rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on top of it.
The Texas standout has the second-most receiving yards and touchdowns on the team as a running back. Despite his play-caller not verbally committing Bijan to a plan, he clearly has one: spam him with targets, while his usage on the ground has been spotty.
It seems his usage changes year over year, as is obvious from his stat line. In Robinson's first season as offensive coordinator, Bijan rushed for 1456 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was frequently utilized in the passing game, but was far less efficient.
This season, he may not get 1450 rushing yards, but he will get pretty close. The one big change? His target share and yards per reception have spiked dramatically. The 39-year-old claims not to know how to use Bijan correctly, but he clearly has a plan; it just changes more often than it should.
Moving forward, Robinson better commit to something, because his scheme isn't working out for the Falcons. Bijan may be dominating defenses every single game, but he's the only one. If this persists, it could be his final nail in the coffin.