Former NFL Vet Thinks Falcons Could Still Get More From Bijan Robinson

While some have labeled Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski a “quarterback whisperer,” former NFL linebacker Manti Te’o believes the player who could benefit the most from the new coach in Atlanta isn’t Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa, but running back Bijan Robinson.

“If there’s anybody from the Atlanta Falcons that he’s [Stefanksi] going to bring the best out of, it’s going to be Bijan,” Te’o said Monday on Good Morning Football.

Robinson is coming off a historic 2025 season. The running back led the league in total yards from scrimmage with 2,298, 172 more than second-place Christian McCaffrey, and finished fourth in Offensive Player of the Year voting. No player has recorded more yards in a single season since McCaffrey in 2019. It’s hard to imagine Robinson being any better, yet Stefanski’s arrival in Atlanta could put him in an even more favorable position.

To illustrate the kind of boost Stefanski can provide, Te’o points to a familiar example from Cleveland.

“Remember when Nick Chubb was the running back for the Cleveland Browns?” he said. “He was leading the NFL in a whole bunch of categories.”

While Chubb never matched Robinson’s raw total-yardage numbers, he was remarkably efficient under Stefanski. In his three fully healthy seasons in Cleveland, Nick Chubb averaged at least five yards per carry each year: 5.6 in 2020 (second among running backs), 5.5 in 2021 (third) and 5.0 in 2022 (fourth). He was on pace for another stellar season in 2023, averaging a whopping 6.1 yards per carry before suffering an injury just two weeks into the year.

Robinson averaged a career high of 5.2 yards per carry in 2025, his first season above the 5.0-yard mark.

When it came to scoring, Chubb also consistently found the end zone under Stefanski, never recording fewer than eight rushing touchdowns in a season. Robinson, in comparison, has only one season with more than eight scores on the ground in his three-year career.

Chubb was not the only running back to thrive under Stefnaski during his time with the Browns. Jerome Ford had 813 rushing yards on 4.0 yards per carry and 565 or more yards on 5.4 yards per carry, with Chubb dealing with injury in both 2023 and 2024.

Meanwhile, in 2025, rookie Quinshon Judkins had 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, including a hat trick against the Miami Dolphins in Week 7. He was tied for fifth amongst all rookie running backs in rushing touchdowns, despite missing three games.

Ultimately, Stefanski’s track record suggests he can maximize the talents of his running backs, and Robinson is poised to be the latest beneficiary. With a proven system that emphasizes efficiency, Atlanta’s star back could reach new heights in 2026.

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