Bijan Robinson is now the highest paid running back in NFL history. The Atlanta Falcons made it official on Wednesday, signing the two-time Pro Bowler to a three-year extension worth up to $75 million with $51 million guaranteed and $37 million at signing. The base value of the deal is $66.75 million.
The annual average tops what Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey commanded, and it is more than Jonathan Taylor got from the Colts earlier this week. Robinson had reported to training camp on time but was held out of on-field drills while the negotiation played out. Now he is back on the field with the security that most running backs never get.
This is the correct move for Atlanta. Running back is the most abused position in football, and the modern front office wisdom says you never pay one this much. Robinson is the exception to that rule. He turns 24 in January. He led the NFL in yards from scrimmage last season. He touches the ball 20 or more times a game and has already proven he can carry an offense on his back.
Michael Penix Jr. is a young quarterback who needs a stable centerpiece to build around. That centerpiece is Bijan. Kyle Pitts is a matchup weapon. Drake London is a legitimate number one receiver. But the identity of this offense runs through Robinson’s ability to break tackles and create explosive plays out of nothing.
Fans and analysts will point out that Barkley signed with the Eagles for less, then broke the single-season rushing record. That is a fair counterpoint. But Barkley was a free agent looking to escape a franchise. Robinson wanted to stay in Atlanta, and Atlanta had to price the fact that he was going to be a free agent in less than 18 months anyway. Either you pay him now or you watch someone else pay him next spring.
Robinson himself said last month that staying with one team was one of his dreams. That kind of loyalty is worth something when the alternative is watching your best offensive weapon walk to a division rival.
The Falcons had to give up more money than any team has ever given a running back to keep him. They also got to lock in a franchise player through his age-26 season, and the guaranteed structure gives them cost certainty in a market that keeps rising every year.
The bigger question is what this does to the market. Jahmyr Gibbs is watching. Derrick Henry is watching. Every running back who feels underpaid just got a new comp, and that will echo through negotiations for the next two years.
For now, this is about Atlanta. The Falcons have a new coach in Raheem Morris entering year three, a young franchise quarterback in Penix, and a defense that added significantly in the draft. Locking up the offensive engine before he hit the open market was the responsible move.
Pay the guy. He earned it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
