Entering the 2023 NFL Draft, Bijan Robinson was touted as “the best running back prospect since at least 2018” – when Saquon Barkley went 2nd overall to the Giants. Barkley recorded one of, if not, the greatest running back season of all time last year to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. So, I won’t predict that Robinson will be able to replicate Barkley’s 2024 production, but his contract might. After a solid rookie season and a breakout sophomore campaign, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports chose Robinson as the Falcons’ top extension candidate, writing that his next contract “could rival” Saquon Barkley’s.
Robinson Could Become Second Running Back to Make $20 Million per Year
CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan selected the top extension candidate from each team on Friday, with Robinson being the obvious choice for the Falcons.
Robinson progressed even quicker than expected, improving in nearly every statistical category. Most importantly, he cut down on his fumbles, which was one of the only concerns that scouts had coming out of college. Robinson also maintained an impressive 5.2 yards per touch in 2024, only slightly lower than his average of 5.4 during his rookie season. With nearly 100 more touches in 2024, Robinson showed that he has the ability to take a leap into the next tier of running backs in 2025.
Sullivan notes that the ascendance of Michael Penix Jr. should provide a boon to Robinson’s production, writing that “more stable quarterback play should only result in better numbers for Robinson.”
In a separate article, Sullivan ranked Robinson and teammate Tyler Allgeier as the No. 2 running back duo in the NFL, just behind Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery of the Detroit Lions.
“Robinson is ascending towards becoming the top running back in the NFL,” wrote Sullivan. “At just 23 years old, Robinson should only improve, which is a scary proposition for the rest of the league.”
Another reason the Falcons may want to shell out big money to keep Robinson around is that his fellow back could be a top candidate for a change of scenery. According to Bleacher Report‘s Brent Sobleski, “Bijan Robinson is the present and future of the Falcons’ ground game.”
“Meanwhile, Allgeier is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Allgeier has no incentive to sign an extension with the Falcons” because, as Sobleski writes, they are wasting his “workhorse ability.”
Keeping Penix Jr. Over Cousins Could Open Cap Space for Robinson’s Extension
With the Falcons committing to Michael Penix Jr. as their quarterback of the future, there is reason to believe they will move on from veteran backup Kirk Cousins. Despite signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in March 2024, the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall one month later.
Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot stressed the importance of patience in dealing with Cousins’ contract back in March. During an interview with Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio, Fontenot made it clear that they are in no rush to move on from the 13-year veteran.
“We just have to be patient there,” said Fontenot. “We’re always open — not just talking about Kirk, but with really anybody on our roster — we have a lot of those calls. I’ve probably talked to already six or seven GMs since the draft has ended, and they’re talking about their roster, we’re talking about our roster.”
“So, we’re always patient with those types of things because if something comes to us with Kirk or any other player that makes sense and it’s gonna help this team, then we’re gonna be aggressive and we’re going to do it.”
As much as it makes sense to keep a veteran presence around for their young quarterback, that’s a hefty price to pay for a soon-to-be-37-year-old backup. If the Falcons are able to move off of Cousins’ albatross of a contract, they should be able to secure their star running back for years to come.
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