Bijan Robinson Ready for Falcons to Make Statement Against Steelers

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Bijan Robinson has spent the offseason watching the game slow down. Now, the Atlanta Falcons running back is ready to speed things up.

After a full offseason of preparation and a preseason spent watching from the sideline, Robinson is preparing for his fourth NFL season and a Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. For one of Atlanta’s most important offensive players, the opening game represents the first opportunity to show what the Falcons’ revamped rushing attack can become.

“Now it’s time to go put it on and go have fun doing it,” Robinson said.

The Steelers present an immediate challenge. Robinson specifically mentioned Pittsburgh linebacker Patrick Queen when discussing the matchup, calling him a key piece of a defense that has consistently played at a high level.

“I respect Patrick Queen a lot,” Robinson said. “I can’t wait to, you know, go up against him.”

Robinson enters the season with a different understanding of the position than he had when he arrived in Atlanta in 2023. His physical ability has always been evident. Now, he believes his ability to diagnose defenses before the snap and anticipate what is coming has become one of the biggest parts of his game.

“That first year, I was trying to let the game slow down for me,” Robinson said. “And then the second, third year, like, that’s what I’m trying to elevate into — reading all the coverages, reading first, second-level reads, in a running pass game.”

One of Robinson’s biggest points of emphasis has been identifying the defense’s “free hitter” before the play develops.

“It completely slowed the game down for me because I know every single play where the guy I got to make this or the guy I got to break a tackle on,” Robinson said. “I’ll read that before he even starts.”

That awareness could prove particularly valuable against a Steelers defense known for creating pressure and attacking opposing offenses.

But Robinson isn’t approaching the matchup alone. Atlanta has invested heavily in its offensive infrastructure, including bringing in veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan. Robinson has already noticed the impact.

“Obviously Bill is the legend, and it’s cool learning from him because I’ve learned so many things that I haven’t even thought of,” Robinson said.

Callahan’s experience working with running backs and developing rushing attacks has given Robinson another resource as he looks to take another step forward.

“He’s had so many great running backs,” Robinson said. “He gets so many great run games, so many great experiences with the O-line.”

For Robinson, the goal is bigger than individual production. The Falcons want their rushing attack to establish the identity of the offense and make life easier for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

“That’s the standard here. That’s the standard that we set here,” Robinson said.

After months of running the offense against teammates in practice, Robinson is ready for the real test.

“I’m like anxious now because we ran it so long in practice now, and I just wanted to go out there in the game and put it to life,” Robinson said.

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