Even in a disappointing season for the Atlanta Falcons, Bijan Robinson was a lone bright spot when given the opportunity as a rookie. Heading into 2024, however, the standout running back is aiming for more success and has set a lofty goal for himself in his second season.
Bijan Robinson Sets Lofty Goal for the 2024 Season
Robinson put in what, for all intents and purposes, can be considered a strong rookie season, rushing for 976 yards and four touchdowns alongside 487 receiving yards with four more scores. He led all rookie running backs in both rushing and all-purpose yards with 1,463 yards overall and was a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Still, Robinson was not content with that level of production and said as much during an interview with Sports Illustrated in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.
“Yeah, I had 1,400 yards, but for me, I have such high expectations. That’s not a great season,” Robinson said. “From the expectations people have from me, I could see them looking at that season like, ‘That may be great somewhere else, but that shouldn’t be the standard for me.'”
Robinson has now set out a lofty goal for the upcoming season, aiming to more than double last year’s rushing tally and eclipse 2,000 yards rushing.
Robinson would be just the ninth running back in NFL history to do so, joining Eric Dickerson, Adrian Peterson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Derrick Henry, Terrell Davis, Chris Johnson, and O.J. Simpson. Dickerson holds the single-season record with 2,105 yards, set back in 1984, while Henry was the most recent to eclipse the threshold after rushing for 2,027 yards in 2020.
Despite the rarified air of the 2,000-yard mark, Robinson feels such a special season is possible given Atlanta’s vast offensive talent.
“I want 2,000 yards rushing,” Robinson said. “I know those are big expectations, what we can do as an offense, with all the weapons, our O-line, with Zac [Robinson] being at the helm, it can be something special. I think it’s going to be one of those special seasons that Atlanta’s been waiting for us and all of us as players have been waiting for. So, let’s get it.”
Another potentially key factor in that pursuit is the fact that the Falcons moved on from head coach Arthur Smith this offseason. Smith has been criticized for misusing and, at times, underutilizing the Falcons’ wealth of offensive playmakers, headlined by Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts, and wide receiver Drake London.
New head coach Raheem Morris and his staff could take a different approach to utilizing the talented players that would give Robinson a better chance at reaching his lofty goal.
Another challenge in breaking the 2,000-yard mark, though, is the fact that Robinson shares the backfield with another talented player in Tyler Allgeier. Last season, Allgeier ran for 683 yards and four touchdowns and appears poised to remain a significant part of Atlanta’s offensive efforts.
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Time will tell whether Robinson will be able to reach his lofty goal, but it’s clear at a minimum that he’s aiming for much more success in 2024.
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