The Atlanta Falcons have been in the middle of a busy stretch of extensions, and the latest move only sharpens the focus on what comes next for Bijan Robinson.
After deals for Drake London and Kyle Pitts, the Falcons turned to the offensive line, signing OG Matthew Bergeron to a four-year, $96 million extension with $60 million guaranteed, according to NFL insider Mike Garafolo. The new contract keeps a major piece of Atlanta’s front intact and gives the team another core blocker secured for the long haul.
Bergeron’s payday is a big one. The $24 million per year on the deal matches Dallas Cowboys OG Tyler Smith, tying him for the highest-paid interior lineman in the NFL. For Atlanta, that kind of commitment makes sense because Bergeron was entering a contract year, and the team didn’t want to leave the continuity of its offensive line hanging.
The Falcons have also made it clear they expect more from Bergeron. They’re banking on new offensive line coach Bill Callahan to help him take another step forward, especially with the goal of keeping the line stable for Robinson. Atlanta will now retain four of five starters in the trenches from last season, and both Chris Lindstrom and Bergeron are locked in for the next half-decade.
That said, the move doesn’t exactly calm the noise around Robinson’s situation. His deal still hasn’t happened, and the longer Atlanta waits, the more risk there is that the Detroit Lions extend Jahmyr Gibbs first and push the running back market higher. If Robinson keeps producing at the level he’s on track for in 2025, he could reset the position anyway.
Even so, the Falcons clearly view this as the safer order of operations. League history has long suggested there’s less risk in paying linemen than running backs, and Atlanta appears intent on making sure the offensive structure is in place before it hands Robinson what could be the biggest running back contract in NFL history.
For Robinson, the Bergeron extension may not be the news he wanted to hear first. But it also makes the next step feel even closer.
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