Bijan Robinson’s training camp standoff is ending with a deal that resets the running back market.
The Atlanta Falcons star is set to sign a three-year extension worth up to $75 million, according to NFL Network. That would make Robinson the highest-paid back in NFL history and push him past Saquon Barkley at the top of the position’s salary chart.
The contract also includes $51 million guaranteed, which would be the most ever for a running back. On an average annual basis, Robinson will make $22.25 million per year.
That number now sits above the rest of the league’s elite backs:
- Bijan Robinson: $22.25M per year
- Saquon Barkley: $20.6M per year
- Christian McCaffrey: $19M per year
- De’Von Achane: $16M per year
- Derrick Henry: $15M per year
Robinson’s rise has been matched by his standing in the video game world, too. EA Sports has given him a 95 overall rating in Madden NFL 27, which makes him the fourth-highest rated running back in the game. Only Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, and Jonathan Taylor were rated higher.
At 24, Robinson has already become one of the NFL’s most dangerous offensive weapons. He can hurt defenses as both a runner and a receiver, and that dual-threat skill set has made him a problem for opponents every time he gets the ball.
For Texas fans, none of this feels surprising. Robinson showed the same mix of vision, burst, balance, and pass-catching ability in Austin that helped make him one of the country’s most electric players. He left the Longhorns as one of the program’s most accomplished running backs before becoming a first-round NFL Draft pick.
Three seasons into his pro career, Robinson has backed up every bit of that hype. His explosive runs, tackle-breaking ability, and impact in the passing game have made him the centerpiece of Atlanta’s offense and one of the league’s biggest stars.
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Bijan Robinson Just Gave Texas A Massive Recruiting Win
Bijan Robinsons rise in Atlanta has become the kind of exclamation point Texas can point to on the recruiting trail. The former Longhorns star just signed a three-year extension with the Falcons that can reach $75 million, with a reported $51 million guaranteed, a deal that underscores how quickly he has gone from college centerpiece to one of the NFLs highest-paid backs. Add in the fact that he led the league in scrimmage yards in 2025 and earned his first All-Pro nod, and its easy to see why his pro path carries so much weight back in Austin.
For Texas, the appeal is bigger than one contract or one standout season. Robinsons success reinforces a broader message about what the program can produce, and it comes at a time when Atlanta has committed major resources to him and other skill players as part of its offensive future. Recruits notice that kind of investment, especially when its attached to a player who already entered league conversations as a position-setter, and Texas can sell that track record without needing to say much at all. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Manning Just Added More Weight To Texas Expectations
Texas entered the summer with lofty expectations, and Arch Mannings name landing on the Maxwell Award preseason watchlist only adds to the noise around him. The Texas quarterback is one of 81 players included on the list for the award given annually to the best all-around college football player, a spotlight that also puts him in the company of another Longhorns standout, wide receiver Cam Coleman.
For Manning, the watchlist nod brings a little extra weight because of the family history attached to the trophy. If he were to win it, he would join a lineage that already includes Maxwell Award winners, while Texas would have another high-profile marker tied to a season built around big ambitions. The awards defending winner is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but for Texas the more immediate question is how much more pressure comes with every honor Manning adds before the games even begin. [Read more 🡒]