Last season, Bijan Robinson catapulted himself into the conversation for top running backs in the league. Most of the attention rightfully went to two other marquee backs in 2024. Saquon Barkley flirted with the rushing record and Derrick Henry flirted with 2,000 yards. There have only been nine 2,000-yard seasons in NFL history and we almost saw two of them in 2024. But, Bijan Robinson is ready to compete for a rushing title this season. His “workload, coupled with his durability, makes him a prime candidate,” according to Bleacher Report‘s Moe Moton.
Workload and Durability Make Robinson a ‘Prime Candidate’ for 2025 Rushing Title
Last June, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris signaled that a big workload was ahead for Robinson in 2024. As Falcons Digital Team Reporter Terrin Waack posted last June, Morris was asked about Robinson’s usage and said the following: “In the simplest form you can put it, get the ball to Bijan as much as possible in the most ideal situations as possible.”
Bijan Robinson broke out last year under first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. And it’s safe to say his coach has plenty of confidence in him moving forward. As Falcons Senior Editor and Staff Writer Will McFadden writes, the offensive coordinator is hoping for an “uptick with explosives” in 2025.
“He is so talented,” Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said, according to McFadden. “His vision, the way he can see and feel in tight quarters is unlike anything I have ever seen. We just hope for that uptick with the explosives.”
As Moton writes, with an outlook like that, it’s no wonder that the second-year rusher’s role in the offense “grew exponentially” under the new offensive coordinator. If the Falcons are looking to take advantage of Robinson’s fresh, young legs, they could run the ball even more than last season, as he finished fourth in total carries (304) in 2024. Moton is confident that Robinson “could handle that many rush attempts in the upcoming season.”
As for Robinson’s durability, Moton points out that he is yet to miss a game during his first two seasons, “despite heavy involvement in the passing attack (119 catches for 918 yards and five touchdowns).” Robinson ran for an impressive 4.6 yards per carry as a rookie, and improved on that mark in 2024 (4.8 YPC), despite 90 more carries.
“Even with Tyler Allgeier in the backfield as a serviceable No. 2 running back, Robinson’s workload, coupled with his durability, makes him a prime candidate to lead the league in rushing for the 2025 season,” writes Moton.
Can Michael Penix Jr. Help Bijan Take the Next Step?
Robinson has said that one of the keys for him to break into that next tier is breaking long runs. Last season, he finished with just 5 runs of 20+ yards. Each of the other running backs in the top 5 had double-digit runs of 20+ yards. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley led the way, with 19 and 17, respectively. After a full offseason with Michael Penix Jr., Robinson should be a “prime candidate” for the league’s next leading rusher.
During a brutal five-game stretch that cost them a playoff spot, Kirk Cousins threw just 1 touchdown and 9 interceptions. Ultimately, Atlanta made the decision to start Penix for the final three games of the season.
Robinson still performed well during the stretch that led to Cousins’ benching. The second-year back carried the ball 102 times for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns. But, as Moton points out, Penix’s ability to attack from the pocket should help Atlanta “balance their offense.” But, the focus should still be for Atlanta to “feed its most dynamic playmaker on the ground.”
With less of the focus on him and more time to prepare with Penix, Bijan Robinson should be a “prime candidate” to compete for a rushing title in 2025.
