The Atlanta Falcons shocked the NFL world when they selected QB Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Atlanta had given veteran QB Kirk Cousins a massive four-year $180 million contract just one month before. The media instantly began stirring a narrative of controversy. However, Falcons RB Bijan Robinson says the relationship between the two QBs is working well.
Robinson recently appeared on the NFL+ program The Insiders with Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo. He spoke on several different topics, including Atlanta's QB situation.
“That’s my dawg, and all of us, we’re happy for him,” Robinson said about Penix Jr. “And Kirk — he’s teaching him everything he needs to know to be the best.”
Robinson said that Penix Jr. simply put his head down and got to work when he joined the team.
He also spoke about the camaraderie of the team.
“When you come to this team, you're part of a brotherhood immediately,” Robinson said. “We took [Penix Jr.] in and he adjusted fairly well.”
Bijan also added that the team does not worry about external factors, such as the media's obsession over the QB controversy, because “it really doesn't matter.”
Robinson also spoke quite a bit about Kirk Cousins. He reports that Cousins is already fitting in with the Falcons.
“Kirk already earned the respect from everybody,” Robinson said, “especially me. He's my locker mate so I joke around with him every single day.”
His professionalism and competitive spirit is already rubbing off on younger players like Robinson and Penix Jr.
“He's locked in every single day and he's teaching us all not to just go through the motions but actually lock into what we're doing,” Robinson said.
“He's the best dude ever man,” Robinson concluded, “I respect him so much.”
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has big plans for Bijan Robinson
The Falcons replaced Arthur Smith with Raheem Morris as their next head coach. Morris was the Falcons' interim head coach in 2020 before leaving to take a defensive coordinator role with the Los Angeles Rams. He now returns as the full-time head coach in Atlanta.
Morris made a bold claim this week about how much he wants Bijan Robinson involved in the Falcons' offense in 2024.
“In the simplest form you can put it, get the ball to Bijan as much as possible in the most ideal situations as possible,” Morris said, according to Terrin Waack of the Falcons' website.
Fans are certainly thrilled to hear that Robinson should be the featured piece of Atlanta's offense.
The wording of Morris' statement is important.
The Arthur Smith-led Falcons were often criticized for not using their most explosive playmakers, namely tight end Kyle Pitts, often enough. This was not the case with Bijan. In fact, Robinson has 272 total touches which was 12th in the entire NFL and led the team. However, fans were critical when Bijan would be subbed out of the game in critical situations near the goal line.
It will be exciting to watch the Falcons in 2024. If Bijan Robinson gets the workload that Morris is promising, he'll have the chance to prove that he is one of the best backs in the NFL.
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