Bijan Robinson did not practice on the first day of training camp, a decision The Athletic’s Josh Kendall reports has to do with Bijan’s desire for a new contract.
Per Kendall, the Falcons and Bijan’s representation have been discussing a new deal this summer, but have not come to an accord just yet. Drake London and Kyle Pitts received new long-term deals before training camp started, which likely made Bijan and his team more eager for a new deal given that he’s the most prominent of the team’s three
position player stars.
The Falcoholic’s Jeanna Kelley spoke with Falcons media relations staff and they were not able to provide a reason for Robinson sitting out practice on Wednesday. Jeanna told me that he was not in cleats or a helmet but did some footwork…work and jogged around, engaging with teammates during practice as always. Bijan was originally slated to meet with the media today, but Carl Dukes at 92.9 noted that he did not.
Robinson is under contract for 2026 and the team holds a fifth-year option because he was a first round pick, but is likely looking to be both the league’s highest-paid running back and achieve long-term financial security many running backs never get to enjoy. As NFL writer Dan Pizzuta notes, even a record-setting running back deal would likely be a smaller percentage of Atlanta’s salary cap than Ezekiel Elliott was for the Cowboys, Todd Gurley for the Rams, or Christian McCaffrey’s extension with the Panthers, simply because of cap inflation and running back valuation remaining lower than some other position groups. That means that while any deal will certainly be expensive, it should not destroy Atlanta’s long-term cap flexibility on its own.
Because they just handed out significant multi-year deals to London and Pitts, however, the Falcons will undoubtedly want to structure this deal in a way that gives them as much cap flexibility and insurance against the inevitable wear-and-tear running backs endure as possible while still offering Bijan the moon. Whether Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs—who is also a camp hold-in—gets to wear the crown as the league’s highest paid runner when the dust settles is not particularly relevant to fans, but Bijan will want to at least temporarily stand alone atop the heap.
It’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve it. Last year’s leader in scrimmage yards, Robinson has 3,910 rushing yards and is already 7th on Atlanta’s all-time rushing list; he’s also an excellent receiver, greatly improved blocker, and widely loved Falcon who is still just 24 years old. The combination of talent, potential, and importance for Atlanta means he’s going to get a gigantic deal from the franchise. It’s just a question of how quickly and what that deal will look like.
This would have merited more immediate angst if the Falcons didn’t have a laundry list of injuries and Michael Penix’s admission that it could be a month until he’s medically cleared, but it’s obviously a situation worth monitoring regardless. Bijan is notoriously fanatical about taking care of his body and will undoubtedly be ready to hit the practice field once this situation is resolved, but there’s no indication of how long this reported hold-in might last.
I will say I’m not particularly concerned. Bijan has been a great teammate throughout his run in Atlanta and there’s no hint that this has become acrimonious, so we’re likely just talking about a short-term absence from practice. That’s hardly ideal ahead of a season we all want to go well, but unless we’re still talking about this being an issue in a couple of weeks and Bijan’s digging in, I think we have bigger things to worry about for now.
