Bijan Robinson runs wild, Falcons down Saints

Robinson single-handedly out-gained the Packers in the first half after clearing the century mark on the ground early in the second quarter. His patience and burst through the gap were on full display, routinely gaining chunk yardage on first down while making the Green Bay defensive front look like Swiss cheese. A 55-yard scamper on a wide zone carry in the first quarter got the All Pro back off to a blazing start, adding his first of two touchdowns to cap the drive. He would take on a second score late in the fourth quarter to send the Packers to their first home opener loss in 14 years. Robinson remains an elite RB1 ahead of a Week 4 matchup with the division rival Saints.

Robinson did what he could in the midst of a Cooper Rush meltdown, but it’s hard to expect much when his team puts up a grand total of three points. Atlanta also pulled their starters early, allowing Brian Robinson Jr. to rack up 13 touches of his own. Robinson is a volume-based RB1 even when Rush is under center, and he’ll move back into the top three once Michael Penix takes over. That could happen next week versus the Packers on Thursday Night Football.

To say Bijan Robinson was the majority of the team’s offense would be an understatement. He had 173 of the team’s 238 total yards and 29 of the 43 touches by any skill player. He played on 47 of the team’s 61 total snaps and only lost carries to Brian Robinson because the team couldn’t possibly continue to ride Bijan Robinson any more than they were. His involvement in the short passing game, especially given who will be at quarterback, makes Bijan Robinson seemingly matchup-proof for fantasy purposes.

McFadden notes that Robinson had more outside runs than any other player last season. He believes new Falcons OC Tommy Rees and new OL coach Bill Callahan are focused on diversifying the run game tactics by adding a north-south approach. He thinks Falcons running backs “should benefit from a penetrating approach oriented around getting them into second-level space quickly.” McFadden also checked in with Robinson, who said Rees is implementing new screen game concepts, derived from his time with the Browns. Last year in Cleveland, Rees’ offense racked up 413 yards via the screen game, ranking second in the NFL. Adding more ways to get Robinson the ball in space only solidifies his status as the overall RB2 in fantasy drafts this year.

The deal includes a whopping $51 million in guarantees. Robinson becomes the highest-paid running back in NFL history, surpassing Saquon Barkely. Under the new deal, Robinson, 24, will make $22.25 million per year, according to ESPN. This ends Robinson’s brief hold-in at Falcons training camp. Robinson over his first three NFL seasons has totaled 5,648 yards and 34 touchdowns as the centerpiece of the Atlanta offense. That won’t change under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, who has talked up Robinson’s pass-catching ability this offseason. Robinson should be among the first two picks in every fantasy format this summer.

Rapoport adds that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Gibbs isn’t at practice until they get real significant progress on a contract extension. Gibbs has passed his conditioning test but is currently a hold-in. Rapoport adds that “it would make sense” for Robinson to get the first contract of the two, but concedes that “it’s safe to say it’s up in the air right now.”

Neither Robinson nor the team can say outright that Robinson is “holding in,” but that’s what is happening here. The same is true of Jahmyr Gibbs, who is also sitting out of practice. Both players are under contract for two more seasons, the second of which is a fifth-year option that has already been exercised by their respective teams. Robinson is coming off another elite rushing season that saw him hit 1,478 yards and seven scores. He also took his receiving output to another level, reeling in 79 passes for 820 yards and four scores. The increase in passing game usage should be enough to make him the league’s highest-paid running back. Saquon Barkley currently makes over $20 million per year, and Robinson will likely exceed that mark when he and the Falcons finally reach an agreement.

Fowler notes that both Gibbs and Falcons RB Bijan Robinson are eligible for extensions right now. Both players will likely reset the market. Whichever player signs second could end up making more money. Fowler adds that some around the league believe Gibbs “is the very best, No. 1 running back in the entire NFL.” Both players are in contention for the overall RB1 spot in fantasy this year.

The NFL announced that the Bengals and Falcons will play in Madrid for Week 9 of the 2026 season. It is the NFL’s second time having a game in Madrid, reaching a deal earlier this year to play more games at Bernabeu Stadium, home of the Real Madrid soccer club. Burrow will play his first career international game, the Bengals’ first in seven years. Meanwhile, Bijan Robinson and the Falcons will return overseas after playing in Berlin last year. Both teams will hope to be contending in their division at this halfway-point in the season after both missed the playoffs last season.

Robinson has totaled more than 1,450 scrimmage yards in all three pro seasons, most recently churning out 2,298 scrimmage yards, 11 touchdowns and 79 receptions last year. Robinson was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2023, is a two-time defending Pro Bowl player and last year earned first-team All-Pro honors as a running back and second-team All-Pro honors as an all-purpose player. The front office could put off a long-term contract extension until next offseason, but getting one done before the 2026 season begins would likely save them money down the road. He will contend for the 1.01 spot in fantasy drafts this year.