FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — This position review could be broken down into six words: Bijan Robinson is good at football.
Of course, there's more to the Falcons' 2024 running back group, but Robinson highlighted the room and the entire offense as a whole. No matter who was under center, Atlanta heavily relied on Robinson — and he delivered.
Robinson recorded 1,456 rushing yards, for third in the NFL, on 304 carries averaging out to 4.8 yards per attempt. He finished with a team-high 15 touchdowns — 14 rushing and a single receiving score.
While Robinson reached an elite echelon in his second season, his running mate Tyler Allgeier also had a productive season. Allgeier added 644 yards on the ground in his third year, following 683- and 1,053-yard seasons. No other backup running back in the league this year had at least 600 yards with no starts.
Both Robinson and Allgeier were effective after contact, too. Robinson ranked No. 3 in the league with 728 yards after contact, while Allgeier's 356 yards were No. 1 amongst backups with no starts. Robinson forced a league-high 117 missed tackles, according to Next Gen Stats. Allgeier's battering-ram running style earned him Good Morning Football's Angry Runs nomination after an 18-yard run in Week 6.
Atlanta's group rushed for 2,132 total yards, the third-straight season the Falcons amounted to 2,000 or more rushing yards and only the 18th time in franchise history a group had surpassed the mark. Robinson contributed to almost 70% of that production in his second season in a promising career that's only projecting upward.
Notable returners: Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier
Free agents: Avery Williams
2024 production:
- Bijan Robinson: 17 starts, 17 appearances | 1,456 rushing yards, 304 carries, 4.8 yards per attempt, 85.6 yards per game | 37 yards longest run | 82 first downs | 14 touchdowns
- Tyler Allgeier: 17 appearances, no starts | 644 rushing yards, 137 carries, 4.7 yards per attempt, 37.9 yards per game | 25 yards longest runs | 43 first downs | three touchdowns
- Jase McClellan: two appearances, no starts | 32 rushing yards, 13 carries, 2.5 yards per attempt, 16 yards per game | two first downs
Biggest question facing the position group in 2025: Can Robinson uphold the heavy workload?
Robinson had 365 touches, which ranked second in the league behind Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Coming into the season, comparisons between Barkley and Robinson were made. By season's end, they ended up having similar workloads. Barkley was No. 1 in yards from scrimmage with 2,283 yards (2,005 rushing), while Robinson was fourth with 1,887 yards.
The Barkley model is replicable for Robinson. He's proven he can handle the workload.
Robinson didn't miss a game and hardly appeared on the injury report, but it's important that the Falcons still manage him while he's early in his career.
"He's a special player," general manager Terry Fontenot said. "We've already had those discussions of what his offseason looks like and how we manage him through the offseason, so he's continuing to develop, but also, we're taking care of him. The way he takes care of his body is exceptional. He's just a special player, but an even better young man. That's something we're going to have to always continue to look at."
The hope could be that next season (with perhaps more stability at quarterback and the passing game) that Robinson may not have to carry such a load, but if he does — he's proven the Falcons can rely on him.
