The Falcons are feeling the absence of a certain kind of back right now, and the timing makes the whole Tyler Allgeier situation look even messier.
Atlanta let Allgeier walk in free agency, and the move made sense on paper. He had been a key part of the offense, but he was always operating in Bijan Robinson’s shadow, and he wanted a chance to be more than the backup behind “the best running back in the world.” The Cardinals gave him that shot with a two-year, $12.25 deal, while the Falcons, working with limited cap space, turned to Brian Robinson Jr. to fill a similar role at a lower cost.
That arrangement looked fine until Robinson Jr. got hurt. The fifth-year back is dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Week 7 win over the 49ers, and after he was absent from practice this week, he was ruled out for Week 8 against the Bucs. With him unavailable, Atlanta elevated Khalil Herbert from the practice squad again to serve as the RB2.
That leaves the Falcons thin behind No. 7, and it’s hard not to look back at Allgeier and wonder what might have been useful in this exact spot.
The irony is that Allgeier’s own new situation hasn’t exactly gone according to plan either. Not long after he landed in Arizona, the Cardinals used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, pushing Allgeier right back into a supporting role. Love has taken most of the touches in the Cardinals backfield, leaving the 26-year-old in a limited spot on a 2-5 team that doesn’t spend much time playing from ahead.
That’s not a great setup for a runner whose value depends on rhythm and volume. Even when the game script has tilted his way, Allgeier hasn’t been especially efficient. He’s averaging a career-low 3.0 yards per carry this season, and even with Love sidelined by a high-ankle sprain, he hasn’t looked like a true feature back.
There’s context there, of course. He’s running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and that hasn’t helped his numbers. He still does a solid job creating yards after contact, and his reduced role has also made him a more realistic trade candidate for Monti Ossenfort before the deadline.
No. 22’s name has already surfaced in trade chatter, and with the Falcons dealing with Robinson’s injury, that possibility gets a lot more interesting as the Nov. 10 deadline approaches.
Could Atlanta go get him back? In theory, yes.
In practice, it still feels unlikely. Ian Cunningham let him go once, and if the Falcons truly wanted to reunite with Allgeier, they probably would have pushed harder in the offseason instead of needing to surrender another draft pick to bring him back in-season.
For now, Khalil Herbert is enough insurance if Robinson’s absence stays short. But if the hamstring issue drags on and Robinson ends up on IR, the Falcons may have to revisit the idea. At that point, a call to Arizona about the former fifth-round pick would at least make sense.
It doesn’t mean Atlanta should second-guess moving on from Allgeier. It’s not that simple. But with Brian Robinson Jr. sidelined, the Falcons could definitely use that skillset right now.
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Penix now has nine touchdown passes and just one interception in his stretch as the starter, and the league has taken notice. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after that game, and he also landed 12th in the latest NFL.com quarterback rankings, right in the mix with some of the names Falcons fans know well. For a team still sorting out its long-term picture under center, every week like this makes the question a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]