Of all of the stories to come out of Week 7 of the NFL season, one of the more curious was the Atlanta Falcons’ use of rookie running back Bijan Robinson.
Despite being listed as Atlanta’s starting running back, the No. 8 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft played just 11 offensive snaps, attempting one rush for three yards.
After the game, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith told reporters that Robinson began “feeling weird” the night before the game and woke up on Sunday “feeling completely out of it.” While that explanation makes sense, many wondered why Robinson’s apparent illness wasn’t added to Atlanta’s injury report ahead of its 16-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The NFL is reportedly looking into the matter, which isn’t a surprise considering how seriously the league takes its injury reports. Smith, for his part, has downplayed the matter, telling reporters on Wednesday: “I understand outrage and drama sells. If you really understand how things operate, there’s nothing there” before going on an odd rant in which he compared the coverage to Robinson’s injury to climate change.
Later in the press conference, Smith was asked about the quarterback situation of the Falcons’ upcoming opponent, the Tennessee Titans, who are expected to play multiple signal-callers with starter Ryan Tannehill injured. The third-year Atlanta coach seemingly shifted the conversation back to the Robinson situation in order to make an apples-to-oranges comparison.
“Every week there’s different obstacles,” Smith said. “Teams have to prepare for our three running backs, right? It’s whoever has the hot hand. Maybe I’ll have to go tell [Titans head coach Mike Vrabel], ‘Hey, [Tyler] Allgeier has the hot hand. I’m going to give him 15 carries.’ Maybe that’s what we’ll do if that’s where we’re headed. Just want to make sure I don’t upset anybody and their fantasy team. So maybe I’ll yell across to Vrabes, ‘Hey, I want to give [Cordarrelle Patterson] another carry here.”
Obviously, this is a strawman argument as nobody is asking Smith to divulge his gameplan or player usage to the Falcons’ opponents. And considering Atlanta’s trio of talented running backs, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Robinson take a backseat in some games, despite the sizable draft capital the Falcons spent on him.
But there’s a big gap between Robinson — who again, was listed as Atlanta’s starter — not receiving the most carries for his team and only playing 11 snaps and receiving one carry.
Smith appeared on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Thursday. The Falcons head coach didn’t seem to have any deferring opinion.
“I understand why people, you know, have questions about certain players because they’re passionate about their team or whatever fantasy team they’re on. I got that. But in a coach’s mind, all you’re trying to do is win a game,” Smith said. “I hope we’re not devaluing winning a football game.”
If Robinson was sick, that’s fine. It’s just something that probably should’ve been disclosed on the Falcons’ injury report, considering the amount of money the NFL makes off of fantasy football and gambling, in addition to the competitive advantage it might provide.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.