In a year where just about everything went comically wrong for the Falcons, taking them from would-be playoff team to out of the mix in November, the running back position was a bastion of excellence.
It’s a virtual certainty it was our final year with Tyler Allgeier in the mix, though blessedly Bijan Robinson will continue to be a Falcon for what we hope is many years to come.
The 2025 season was both a reminder that Robinson is great enough to lift this team and provide us with weekly joy, but cannot single-handedly will this team to wins every week. It also reminded us why this team is likely to build around a strong ground game under Kevin Stefanski no matter what moves they make to augment the offense.
Let’s look back at the year that was and talk outlook.
Bijan Robinson
He was impressive as a rookie, great in 2024, and unbelievable in 2025. All the same sputtering superlatives we used to come up with for Julio Jones apply to Bijan, and maybe then some. He’s playing the game at a higher level than just about any other running back in football, with skills that defy belief at times.
Bijan was fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, 21st in rushing touchdowns, 7th in first downs, and 11th in yards per attempt. All of that is good, but it doesn’t tell the full story. He was also 7th in broken tackles and 5th in yards after contact, which speaks to his lethal jump cuts and power. But even that doesn’t tell the full story, because Robinson wasn’t just a great runner.
Bijan wasn’t 18th in the NFL in receptions—not among receivers, mind you, among all players—and 32nd in receiving yards. Among backs, only Christian McCaffrey ranked higher in both metrics. In all, Bijan finished first in scrimmage yardage by almost 200 yards (again, over McCaffrey) and was 17th in combined touchdowns. It was, in short, a spectacular season.
But to believe Bijan, you really have to see him. Like Julio, numbers do him some sort of justice, but can’t properly capture what happens when he leaves a defender in the dust, evades a tackle through sheer wizardry, or just continually turns what would be a one yard gain for most backs into seven yards.
Young, durable, and gifted, Bijan is the engine of this Falcons offense and should remain the engine in 2026. We’ll get to that shortly, but even in another frustrating season, we witnessed greatness and will continue to witness it. Please make sure to enjoy it.
Tyler Allgeier
This was a tale of two statistical splits for Allgeier in what might be his final season as a Falcon. On one hand, he had his second-lowest carry total and lowest rushing yardage total of his career, with 514 yards on 143 carries for a career-low 3.6 yards per carry. He chipped in 14 catches for 96 yards.
While his role continued to shrink as Bijan ascends, Allgeier showed of his bullying skills in other ways. Late in games he was lethal against depleted defenses, and Zac Robinson and company finally got him properly involved in the red zone where his bulldozing ways bore fruit. The other split I referenced above was touchdowns, where Allgeier had an (easy) career-high with eight scores on the ground. His physicality and straight line speed were, as always, a problem and made him an excellent complement to Bijan.
Allgeier is 10th in rushing yards and 12th in rushing touchdowns for this franchise despite only enjoying one year as the featured back, and he’s been a stellar teammate, community presence, and player throughout his run in Atlanta. His eight touchdown year was a strong capper if this ends up being it for his career with the Falcons.
Nate Carter
It was a pretty quiet rookie season for Carter after a strong summer. He wound up getting a handful of garbage time carries, putting up 60 yards on nine carries with one fumble, and lost a yard on a punt return. His speed makes him an intriguing player going forward, and he’s likely the favorite for RB3 duties in 2026.
Outlook: Great, but with depth questions
Look, Bijan has a case for being one of the best players in football, and he’s young. As long as he’s healthy, the offense will run through him, and the Falcons are in great shape at running back. The fact that they have Nate Carter and Carlos Washington under contract means they have solid competition for RB3/4, too.
What the Falcons will have to get under control is RB2. I would love it if Allgeier returned, but he deserves and seems to want a chance to start elsewhere, with the Chiefs seemingly like an absurdly great fit. That means the Falcons need a backup to Robinson who has enough talent to carry the load if Bijan is hurt and can be an effective complement for him. It’s deeply unlikely you’re going to land someone as good as Allgeier, but you have to try to make sure RB2 isn’t a plunge off the cliff. Jerome Ford, who Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees worked with in Cleveland and is a capable kick returner, is the most obvious possible signing.
So long as the Falcons handle that critical signing or draft pick well, running back will once again be a tremendous strength for a team that figures to lead with the run. Bijan Robinson will naturally continue his assault on the record books as a direct result.
