Anytime the best player at a position is set up to get paid, it’s a guarantee he’s going to reset the market one way or another. In Bijan Robinson‘s case, he’s now the highest-paid running back in NFL history by AAV, inking a three-year, $75 million extension to stay with the Falcons. 

Breaking: Bijan Robinson and the Falcons reached an agreement on a three-year extension worth up to $75 million that now will make him the highest-paid running back in NFL history, sources tell @AdamSchefter and @RapSheet.

Robinson will receive a record $51 million guaranteed,… pic.twitter.com/htl0EKrReg

— ESPN (@espn) August 4, 2026

Robinson’s $51 million guaranteed is also a record — and more than deserved for a player who led the entire league in scrimmage yards a season ago with 2,298.

There’s really no running back deal at the moment that’s even comparable. De’Von Achane signed a four-year extension earlier this offseason but will make $11 million less in total. In terms of AAV, Saquon Barkley is the closest comp, earning nearly $21 million per season on a two-year extension with the Eagles — and even that’s more than $4 million a year short of Robinson.

This is a massive commitment, one that locks Robinson in as the focal point of the Falcons offense for the foreseeable future. Paying running backs is typically something organizations try to avoid, but it’s awfully hard to nitpick an extension for a player who’s quite literally flawless, on and off the field.

Running the football, catching passes out of the backfield, pass blocking, short-yardage work, explosive plays — Robinson might be the best running back in the league in every one of those situations. And he does it while being a humble team leader who embodies exactly the culture the Falcons want in that locker room.

Atlanta had no choice but to pay him what he’s worth, and now he’ll rejoin the team at practice. This is an extension all parties should be thrilled about.

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(Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)