There's not many things that Atlanta Falcons fans can point to as a slam dunk going into the 2026 season. The biggest exception to the rule is running back Bijan Robinson, who's in line for an historic year statistically if he can stay healthy.
Aside from being a top pick candidate in fantasy football this year, several analysts are predicting that Robinson will break multiple long-standing NFL records, including Chris Johnson's 2009 yards from scrimmage record (2,509) and Darren Sproles' 2011 all-purpose yardage record (2,696).
Even still, not everyone is on board the Robinson hype train. It seems the writers at The Athletic are expecting that kind of season from Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who received 15 votes to win the Offensive
Player of the Year award. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase came in second with seven, while Robinson finished third with just four.
"If MVP is about quarterbacks, this award has become synonymous with the best running back or wide receiver, one of which has claimed it seven straight years. All but one of our votes went to those positions, with Jahmyr Gibbs, the highest-paid running back in NFL history, earning the most support. The man whose contract Gibbs surpassed, Bijan Robinson, received the second-most votes among running backs, while last year's winner, Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, received only three votes to repeat."
Gibbs is a great running back and the Lions are a far-superior team compared to the Falcons. However, Gibbs does have to compete with touches with an actually functional passing game - one that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, who combined for over 2,500 receiving yards last year. Then there's also tight end Sam LaPorta, who only appeared in nine games but still managed 489 yards.
The point is that the Lions have far bigger mouths to feed compared to Atlanta - where Robinson only has to contend with Drake London and Kyle Pitts - and no longer has Tyler Allgeier vulturing his red zone touches. The Falcons are only carrying two running backs on their roster going into Week 1.
Right or wrong, team success always plays a big role in the MVP voting - but that shouldn't be the case for Offensive Player of the Year. Robinson should be the easy favorite for this honor, not a distant third.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Where did Bijan Robinson finish in The Athletic's OPOY poll?
