Bijan Robinson has established a new financial standard at running back, continuing a market recovery that Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry helped accelerate. The Atlanta Falcons agreed to a three-year extension with Robinson carrying a maximum value of $75 million, according to multiple reports. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the contract includes $51 million in guaranteed money, with a base value averaging $22.25 million per season and incentives that could raise the average to $25 million.
Robinson becomes the NFL’s highest-paid running back by every significant measurement. His deal also pushes Henry to fifth at the position with an average salary of $15 million.
Saquon Barkley ranks second at $20.6 million annually, followed
by Christian McCaffrey at $19 million and De’Von Achane at $16 million. Henry’s two-year, $30 million agreement with Baltimore includes $25 million guaranteed.
With a base value of $22.25M per year on just a three-year deal, Bijan Robinson vaults to the top of the RB market by any metric. https://t.co/GrPPmmi8YH
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 4, 2026
Henry may no longer rank near the top of the salary chart, but his recent contracts helped change the conversation surrounding the position. Running backs faced a difficult market several years ago as teams questioned the wisdom of committing significant money to veteran ball carriers. Henry continued producing at an elite level, while Barkley and McCaffrey demonstrated that complete backs could remain central pieces of championship-caliber offenses.
Those performances helped create the conditions for Robinson’s record-setting extension.
The development also makes Henry’s contract look increasingly favorable for Baltimore. The Ravens secured one of the most accomplished running backs in league history at an annual salary that is $7.25 million below Robinson’s base average and $10 million below the deal’s maximum average. Henry’s importance to Baltimore cannot be measured solely through carries. His presence changes defensive fronts, strengthens play-action opportunities and creates additional space for Lamar Jackson in the running game.
Robinson owns the new financial benchmark, but Henry helped rebuild the market that made it possible. Even after slipping to fifth in annual salary, the Ravens veteran remains one of the position’s most influential players—and potentially one of its best values.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Derrick Henry slips to No. 5 after Bijan Robinson’s record extension
