Atlanta Falcons Prioritizing Bijan Robinson: 'Get the Ball as Much as You Can'

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris sees a big role for running back Bijan Robinson.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is trending toward a special 2024 season. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has set the bar high for his second season, targeting 2,000 yards.

And Robinson's new head coach, Raheem Morris, plans on giving him the opportunity to produce at a high clip.

“In as simple form as you can possibly make it, it’s ‘Get the ball to Bijan as much as you can in as many ideal situations that you possibly can,’” Morris said. “For him, he’s so talented. You don’t want to limit the things he can do, but you also don’t want to water it down so much he’s not doing anything that he can do great.”

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Robinson, drafted No. 8 overall by the Falcons in 2023, finished fifth in NFL Rookie of the Year voting after totaling 214 carries for 976 yards and four touchdowns. He also made an impact through the air, catching 58 passes for 487 yards and four more scores.

His total numbers were good for 10th in the NFL in yards from scrimmage.

The 22-year-old Robinson missed the first six OTA practices with an ankle injury that lingered from the end of last season. Despite Robinson's relative inactivity, Morris already has an advanced understanding of the traits his No. 1 runner possesses.

“When you get the ball in his hand, he makes people miss, he gets extra yards, he’s able to fight for extra yards, he breaks tackles, he’s fast, he’s explosive, he’s strong,” Morris said. “He can do so many things (that) you can get overwhelmed sometimes maybe as a play caller or even as a designer. For him, I really think he enjoys the whole process.”

Robinson fanned the flames on taking another step forward in production this fall by declaring he'll be used in a role similar to that of San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage last season.

Morris heard the comparison and was unconcerned. He said he's never going to take away a player's confidence; instead, Robinson's "youthful arrogance" is exciting.

During Morris's first stint as a head coach from 2009-11 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he coached Hall of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber, who had the saying, "It's always a mentality before it's ever a reality."

Whether the goal is realistic or not, Morris said players have to own a certain mentality. It's evident Robinson does.

So, can it translate to McCaffrey's numbers? That story will be written over the next several months - and Morris is eager to watch it unfold.

“If we can get anywhere near the great player that Christian McCaffrey is,” Morris said, “I think we’ll all be excited.”