Falcons make Robinson highest-paid running back in NFL history
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- Bijan Robinson agreed to a three-year extension with the Atlanta Falcons worth up to $75m (£55m), including a record $51m (£37m) guaranteed for a running back.
- The base $66.75m deal averages $22.25m per year, surpassing the previous high of $20.6m earned by Saquon Barkley at the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Robinson missed the first week of training camp — including Monday's first day in pads — in an apparent contract "hold-in," attending practices but not participating.
- The Falcons have spent the offseason locking up offensive core players, signing left guard Matthew Bergeron to a four-year extension on Saturday and previously giving new deals to wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
- Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns last season and was ranked the league's No. 1 running back in an AP Pro Football Writers preseason poll.
- The 24-year-old, drafted No. 8 overall in 2023, posted 1,478 rushing yards (fourth in the league) and 820 receiving yards — joining Steven Jackson (2006) as the only players ever with 1,400+ rushing and 800+ receiving yards in the same season.
- Robinson reposted the NFL's Instagram announcement writing "God this is for you! Blessings. Love this team and this city!" while his agent Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports posted on X: "Anyone have a brinks truck?"
Why it matters: Robinson's deal resets the running back market, pushing the annual average past Saquon Barkley's $20.6m high, and signals the Falcons' commitment to their offensive core after extending London, Pitts, and Bergeron this offseason. The $51m guaranteed is the largest guarantee ever given to an NFL running back.
