Bijan Robinson’s Historic Night Earns Falcons Star NFL Honor

After a dazzling performance on Thursday Night Football, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has been named the NFL’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

The league announced the Week 3 honor on Wednesday, six days after the All-Pro talent finished with 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. He was a yard short of matching his career-high rushing yards.

60 seconds of the NFC Offensive Player of the Week@Bijan5Robinson x https://t.co/6OPN1C2gwC pic.twitter.com/9QMmhSGfal
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 30, 2026

The fourth-year NFL star led Atlanta to its first win of the 2026 season, beating the Green Bay Packers 35-14 on Sept. 26. He also added two receptions for 19 yards on a reenergized Falcons offense as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. returned from injury.

“Definitely the best football player I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Maason Smith, a defensive tackle for the Falcons. “He’s an even better human being outside of football. Sky’s the limit for him.”

Against the Packers, it was Robinson’s third time in his NFL career surpassing 200 scrimmage yards in a single game and a franchise-record seventh time breaking 100 yards in a primetime game. Through the first three weeks, Robinson is the NFL scrimmage-yard leader at 467, the very statistical category in which he led the league a season ago.

The former Texas Longhorns standout and 2023 eighth overall draft pick is the 10th player in NFL history to eclipse 6,000 career scrimmage yards before turning 25. For reference, he doesn’t turn 25 until Jan. 30, 2027.

“He’s going to be a gold jacket wearer,” Wide receiver Drake London said of Robinson’s Hall of Fame trajectory.

Robinson’s weekly NFL honor adds to months of honors and praise.

In August, the shifty tailback inked a three-year contract extension worth up to $75 million with $51 million guaranteed. He reset the running back market and was briefly the highest-paid at the position before the Detroit Lions extended Jahmyr Gibbs days later.

In September, Robinson was voted No. 3 on the NFL’s top 100 players list. First-year Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski also named Robinson a team captain before the 2026 season kicked off.

“When your best players are also your leaders, that’s a great testament to your roster,” Stefanski said.

“Bijan has his own leadership style, and just who he is every single day, that’s what I appreciate about him in the locker room, out on the field. Ultra positive, always looking to help out his teammates. The skill level is also obviously off the charts. But just the impact he makes daily is really because of the person he is.”

Robinson and the Falcons will once again take the field on Monday Night Football on Oct. 5.

Atlanta (1-2) will travel to its heated NFC South rival, the New Orleans Saints (1-2), as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “Domecoming” at Caesars Superdome.

The Falcons can overtake the sole No. 1 spot in the division with a win and a Carolina Panthers loss to Detroit.

Falcons-Saints kicks off at 8:15 Eastern Time on ESPN.

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