Bijan Robinson‘s hold-in is set to come to an end. A Falcons extension has been worked out, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Team and player have agreed to a three-year extension with a base value of $66.75MM. Robinson can earn up to $75MM on this new deal, which as expected has reset the running back market. The extension contains $51MM in guarantees, including $37MM locked in at signing.
Robinson, like fellow 2023 first-rounder Jahmyr Gibbs, first became eligible for an extension this offseason. No deal was in place by the start of training camp in either case, so both backs attended practices without participating in team drills. It was recently reported Robinson and the Falcons were likelier to finalize an agreement before Gibbs and the Lions, and that has proven to be true.
The running back market has been stagnant relative to other positions around the league for several years. Entering Tuesday, only four backs were attached to a deal averaging $15MM or more per season. At the age of 24, Robinson is much younger than the likes of Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry. De’Von Achane – another member of the 2023 draft class – secured a lucrative Dolphins extension this offseason, but Robinson was always expected to move the RB bar to a new height; at at an AAV of $22.25MM, he has done exactly that.
The former No. 8 pick was an immediate starter upon arrival in Atlanta, and over the past two seasons in particular he has operated as a workhorse back. Robinson has racked up 5,648 scrimmage yards (including a league-leading 2,298 last season) and 34 total touchdowns on 1,003 offensive touches. The Texas product has been a Pro Bowler on two occasions, and in 2025 he added first-team All-Pro acclaim and a fourth-place finish in Offensive Player of the Year voting to his resume.
With this new deal in hand, Robinson will return to practice in preparation for a lengthy spell operating as Atlanta’s focal point on offense. The Falcons picked up his fifth-year option this spring, so today’s extension means he will be under team control through 2030. There will be plenty of stability on offense for Atlanta in 2026 and beyond given the team’s recent extension efforts. Receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and left guard Matthew Bergeron have each signed lucrative long-term deals this offseason. Robinson had always been expected to join that group in receiving a major multiyear commitment from the Falcons’ new regime.
President Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham have been busy in 2026 with respect to extending in-house players in particular. The quarterback spot remains a question mark given Tua Tagovailoa‘s poor showings last year and Michael Penix Jr.‘s injury uncertainty. Regardless of what happens under center this year, though, the Robinson-London-Pitts trio will be counted on to handle the load on offense. A strong ground game under new head coach Kevin Stefanski would no doubt result in another highly productive outing for Robinson, something which would be key to Atlanta’s goal of reaching the postseason.
With talks between Robinson and the Falcons having now produced a deal, attention will shift to Gibbs and the Lions. It has long been assumed the terms of one RB deal will play a key role in establishing the market for the other. In any event, Atlanta’s offense will have plenty of familiarity at the skill positions for years to come, with Robinson set to remain a foundational figure for the foreseeable future.
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