Over the last few months, the Atlanta Falcons have signed a handful of players to contract extensions, including star running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron.
On Friday, the team extended two more players, signing defensive end Cameron Thomas to a three-year, $33 million deal, and giving cornerback C.J. Henderson to a two-year, $20 million extension, including a reported $11 million in guaranteed money.
While it's clear that the team has a vision under general manager Ian Cunningham, the current season isn't going super well. At 3-6, the Falcons have gone from being viewed as a dangerous up-and-comer to the last place team in the NFL's worst division.
Even Robinson's greatness is starting to
become overshadowed as Atlanta's struggles continue. ESPN released its 2026 midseason awards and the Falcons running back was nowhere to be found. Robinson, who was previously the favorite for Offensive Player of the Year in Barnwell's award rankings, was dropped from the top three.
"I felt as if there were four players who had reasonable cases to be in the top three here. In the end, Bijan Robinson was the odd man out by virtue of his four fumbles, a total that ties him with three other running backs for the most in the league this season. Robinson has improved as a receiver and pass blocker, and he's obviously one of the best pure runners in the league. He's still a great player, but the fumbles are the one big issue for a running back who might otherwise be perfect."
Instead, ESPN listed Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kansas City Chiefs running back Kennneth Walker and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs as the top three players for the Offensive Player of the Year award.
In terms of production, Robinson still leads the NFL in rushing yards (880) going into Week 10 but Walker isn't far behind. The Chiefs running back has just eight yards less than Robinson (872) despite playing in just one less game.
The problem is that Robinson is doing his damage on a three-win team, and even though the Falcons' schedule has been brutal, that's par for the course in the NFL.
If Robinson can outplay Walker this weekend and lead Atlanta to an upset over Kansas City, perhaps people will start paying attention to Robinson's accomplishments once again.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: ESPN snubs Falcons RB Bijan Robinson in midseason awards
