Bijan Robinson’s Arizona Homecoming Turns Historic for Falcons

Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons had a tremendous day on the field, but the running back's impact was felt just as much off the field.

GLENDALE – In case there was any doubt as to who Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is, Sunday afternoon in his home state of Arizona provided a pretty clear look.  

On the field, the star running back was his usual, electric self. He finished with 168 yards (76 on the ground, 92 through the air) and a touchdown, marking the 10th time this season he surpassed 100 scrimmage yards in a single game. Robinson accounted for six of the Falcons’ ten longest plays of the afternoon, and he powered the Falcons to a strong 26-19 win over the Cardinals. 

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In the second half, Robinson pushed his season total for scrimmage yards over the 2,000-yard mark, becoming just the third Falcons player in franchise history to reach that mark (he joins William Andrews and Jamal Anderson). Robinson will try to track down Andrews’ franchise record for scrimmage yards in a season (2,176), and he has just 150 yards left to reach that total. 

Truly a blessing that God lets me do this for my teammates and this program! ❤️‍🔥♾️ https://t.co/41nqlwi1ZC

— Bijan Robinson (@Bijan5Robinson) December 22, 2025

“That’s big-time,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said after the game. “I’ve always thought that's a real deal stat if you're doing 2,000 from scrimmage – you're the real deal.”

His 5,376 yards since entering the league are the third-most in NFL history for any player under the age of 24 – and he should break that mark in short order, as he trails Barry Sanders by just 15 yards and Christian McCaffrey by 67 yards with two games left to play. 

“Bijan Robinson is absolutely a phenomenal player,” head coach Raheem Morris said. “I’ve been calling him the best player in football all year. I’ve got a lot of love for that guy and what he brings to a football team, not just as a player but as a human on the field and off the field. Everything that we ask from our players and what a Falcon looks like is Bijan Robinson.”

And that love off the field was felt on Sunday, and it was just as clear how much of an impact Robinson makes in that regard, too. 

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The running back grew up just south of State Farm Stadium in Arizona, and it was just the second time he had played in his home state since graduating from Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson. His milestone of a day – which may as well have been any given Sunday – was played in front of the people who had cheered for him since the very beginning.  

He estimated that he had 200 people in attendance for him today, including family, friends, and coaches – and he heard them chanting ‘Let’s Go Falcons’ after the game 

“It means a lot to do it in Arizona (and) to do it in front of all the people that supported me when I was a kid,” he said. “Not just for me, but for everybody here that was watching.” 

Whether it was through the air or on the ground, Robinson controlled Sunday’s game with the same patience, power, and inevitability as he has all season, but doing it in the desert that forged him was the icing on the cake.