Cheating Falcons? BREAKING: Bijan Robinson Injury Report Earns NFL Fines

Cheating Falcons? BREAKING: Bijan Robinson Injury Report Earns NFL Fines for Atlanta, Coach Arthur Smith

The Atlanta Falcons have been fined $75,000, plus an additional $25,000 fine for coach Arthur Smith, due to an injury report violation concerning rookie running back Bijan Robinson, per NFL Network.

The violation in question took place in Week 7, when the Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. Despite not appearing on the injury report at all during the week, Robinson played just 11 snaps against the Buccaneers, by far his lowest count of the season. Smith claimed that Robinson "wasn't feeling well," which prompted the NFL to investigate why he wasn't on the report.

Bijan Robinson, Arthur Smith / Clutchpoints

As expected with such a low snap count, this game also marked Robinson's lowest production this season by a considerable margin. The star rookie had just one carry for three yards, and he wasn't targeted at all in the passing game.

After the game, fans and bettors alike were livid with Smith and the Falcons for Robinson's lack of usage without any indication going in. The league emphasizes transparency when it comes to injury reports, particularly as sports betting becomes more and more common. That emphasis on transparency certainly played into why the Falcons were fined.

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Robinson, Smith and the Falcons will look to put this saga behind them as they host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.