Photo by Blervis, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsBijan Got Paid. The Falcons Still Don't Have a Quarterback.
The NFL's highest-paid running back plays for a team that can't name its starting quarterback.
Bijan Robinson just became the highest-paid running back in NFL history. The Falcons still can't tell you who's throwing him the ball.
$66.75 million. Three years. $22.25M AAV. For a running back. In 2026. The rest of the league treats the position like a rental car.
Robinson's worth it. Two-time Pro Bowler, the most complete back in football, the only constant on a roster that's changed everything around him. The Falcons just told the NFL their identity is the run game under Stefanski.
Here's my problem.
Who's handing it off? Tua with four concussions and a prove-it deal? Penix coming off ACL number three? I said last week there's a 65% chance neither finishes the season. Nothing since has moved me.
McConaughey was the first to text congratulations. The most Matthew McConaughey sentence in NFL history. Also the most Falcons sentence -- the celebrity moment is easier to celebrate than the roster math.
$51 million guaranteed to a running back. Zero guaranteed answers at quarterback. That's either the boldest roster construction in the NFL or the most expensive way to avoid the real conversation.
If Stefanski turns this into 2019 Tennessee -- Henry carrying a mediocre passing game to January -- I'll write the apology column myself. Come find me.
The Tilt
$51 million for a running back and still no answer at quarterback.
— Dex Ponce
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Dex Ponce
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