Bijan Robinson showed up to Falcons training camp, but he didn’t show up to practice.
That’s the heart of the situation in Atlanta right now: the 24-year-old running back is “holding in” as he pushes for a new contract, standing on the field without a helmet while the rest of the backs went through drills on Wednesday morning. Robinson has not addressed the absence publicly yet, and reporters have not yet had the chance to ask coach Kevin Stefanski about it.
The move comes after an explosive finish to last season and a stretch that has Robinson looking like the best running back in the NFL. He became eligible for an extension at the start of this past offseason, even though his rookie contract still runs through next season because the Falcons picked up his fifth-year option.
In other words, Atlanta has time. Robinson clearly wants the money now.
Hold-ins have become the preferred route for a lot of players in contract disputes. Instead of disappearing from the facility and risking fines, a player reports to the team but skips practice.
It keeps the player around the building, limits injury risk, and still applies pressure on the front office to get something done. It also tends to keep communication a little cleaner, since both sides are in the same place every day.
Robinson’s contract setup is straightforward. He’s in the fourth year of a five-year rookie deal, is making just under $7 million this season, and is due to make $11.3 million on the option next year. Any extension would not kick in until 2028, but the payoff could be huge: Robinson is in line to potentially reset the market at running back, with the top figure cited at more than $20.6 million per year.
That kind of leverage makes sense after what he just did. Robinson piled up 2,298 scrimmage yards last season, and his production has only climbed since he entered the league. He’s coming off back-to-back seasons with more than 1,400 rushing yards, and in 2025 he did major damage as a receiver too, finishing with 820 receiving yards.
The numbers tell the story of a player getting better every year. Over three NFL seasons, Robinson has averaged nearly five yards per carry and steadily improved his efficiency. His career line now sits at 3,910 rushing yards and 1,738 receiving yards, with 25 rushing touchdowns and nine receiving scores.
For now, the Falcons can at least point to the rest of the room. Their depth chart behind Robinson includes Brian Robinson Jr. at No.
2, Tyler Goodson at No. 3, Nathan Carter at No. 4, and Cash Jones at No.
- The team has two running backs with the last name Robinson, but there’s no real replacement for the one at the top.
Brian Robinson Jr., a former Commanders and 49ers running back, is the backup, while Goodson, a former Colts back, sits behind him. Carter and Jones are undrafted and appear to be fighting for roster spots. If Bijan Robinson’s hold-in continues, everyone else in the room simply moves up a rung.
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