In a sport in which quarterbacks are paid the best and dominate the conversation, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris claims the best player in the NFL is his starting running back.
“He’s definitely the best player in football, without a doubt,” Morris said about Bijan Robinson on Wednesday, according to ESPN. “He’s unbelievable. I love the kid. I love everything about him. I love watching him with the ball. I love his confidence. I love his demeanor. I love his mindset. I love the leadership. I love everything about him.”
Robinson, who has dazzled as both a rusher and pass-catcher, ran for 143 yards on 6.5 yards per carry in Atlanta’s Week 2 road victory over the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 1, he had six catches for 100 yards and one score in the team’s loss at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Last season, Robinson earned his first Pro Bowl nod after rushing for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry, while totaling 61 receptions for 431 yards and one touchdown. He ranked second among running backs with a 92.8 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. In his breakout 2024 season, Robinson got 90 more carries than he did in his rookie year (304 rushing attempts in 2024, compared to 214 in 2023).
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Drafted eighth overall out of Texas, Robinson rushed for 976 yards and four touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry as a rookie. He also reeled in 58 catches, which ranked second on the Falcons, for 487 yards and a team-high four touchdowns.
“Unique skill set, unbelievable vision, unbelievable teammate, speed, physicality,” Morris said of Robinson. “When you first meet him, you think he’s a scat back, but he’s really just everything. He has the ability to get out of the backfield, run receiver-like routes. He can stay in the backfield and block whichever linebacker you decide to bring. He just does it all. And we might line him up at quarterback this week, who knows?”
Robinson and the 1-1 Falcons have a road matchup against the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
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