The New York Giants spent the week before the trade deadline calling around about running backs. One of those calls went to Atlanta, and it was about the best one in the league.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported Wednesday that the Giants contacted the Falcons before the Nov. 10 deadline to ask about Bijan Robinson. Raanan was careful about what he did not know: it is unclear whether New York ever made an actual offer, and there is no reporting that Atlanta engaged at any level.
Kevin Stefanski settled the question Wednesday. Asked whether the Falcons would have traded Robinson, the first-year Atlanta head coach answered with one word.
“No.”
Atlanta Was Selling, Just Not That
What makes this interesting is that the Falcons were absolutely open for business. They are 3-6 and fourth in the NFC South. They shipped safety Jessie Bates III to Jacksonville for a second-round pick and a fifth. They sent center Ryan Neuzil to Baltimore. A team in that position usually answers the phone on everybody.
They answered it on everybody except Robinson, and they were right to.
Robinson is 24 years old and leading the NFL in rushing with 880 yards on 169 carries, a 5.2 average, with five touchdowns. Add 31 catches for 250 yards and his 1,130 scrimmage yards rank second in the league behind Jahmyr Gibbs. He has not lost a fumble all season. Atlanta drafted him eighth overall in 2023 out of Texas, and in August it signed him to a three-year extension reported at roughly $66.8 million in new money, worth up to $75 million with incentives and including about $51 million guaranteed. That made him the highest-paid running back in league history.
You do not pay a player that way in August and then hand him to another NFC team in November for picks.
The Giants Had the Right Idea and Would Not Finish It
Here is what New York’s deadline actually looked like. They called Tennessee about Tony Pollard and were told no. They called Baltimore about Justice Hill. They offered Indianapolis a 2027 second-round pick, a 2028 fifth and an unnamed player for Jonathan Taylor, the Colts wanted more, and the Giants withdrew the offer.
Then they did nothing. Not one addition.
That is a strange way to behave for a team sitting at 5-2-1 and leading the NFC East, which is exactly where the Giants are after beating Philadelphia 19-11 in Week 9. John Harbaugh’s first season in New York has gone better than anyone outside the building expected, and the roster has an obvious hole. Cam Skattebo has 418 rushing yards at 4.3 a carry in seven games. Devin Singletary is the complement. Tyrone Tracy Jr. has been on injured reserve since late October.
Harbaugh said about an hour before the deadline that he would be excited to add a playmaker “for the right guy,” and that he wanted “a player that we love.” Fine. But no running back changed teams at this deadline anywhere in the league, which suggests the issue was price rather than talent. Every seller named a number and the Giants kept walking.
The Bill Comes Later
Atlanta keeps the best offensive player it has had in a decade and goes back to working out why a roster with Robinson on it is 3-6. New York goes into the rest of a season it can actually win with the backfield it had in September.
One of those teams made the obvious call. The other made four phone calls and hung up on all of them.
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.
