The Atlanta Falcons made Bijan Robinson the highest-paid running back in NFL history this week, and on Tuesday the star spoke for the first time since signing the deal.
Robinson had spent the first week of training camp on a hold-in, watching from the sideline while his three-year, $75 million extension came together. Now that it’s done, he reflected on the wait, the deal and the celebrity cameo that followed.
Bijan Robinson Reacts to Record-Setting Falcons Extension
Robinson said the deal came down to trust between him and the team, especially given how early Atlanta moved to get it done.
“I think it’s about the respect that we have for each other. My whole job is to be here to win games. It’s kind of rare to do a running back deal two years early. For them to do that, that’s something I won’t forget,” Robinson said, per Kevin Knight of The Falcoholic.
The magnitude of it wasn’t lost on him either.
“This is something that a lot of people dream their whole lives for. It’s been so cool to get to experience it,” Robinson said.
Sitting out to protect his leverage wasn’t easy for a player like the former first-rounder. Robinson admitted the itch to get back on the field was real.
“As y’all could probably tell I was itching (to get on the field). I was on that sideline like, ‘Bruh, I got to get out there.’ I want to be out there. I want to be with the guys,” Robinson said, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
He tried to find the upside in the view, too.
“I actually enjoyed getting to watch practice, to get to see outside looking in. To be more of a leader to the guys, the running back room. It was cool to see that perspective,” Robinson said, per Knight.
Bijan Robinson on Jahmyr Gibbs Talks and a Matthew McConaughey Text
Robinson wasn’t going through the process alone. He revealed he’d stayed in contact with Detroit Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs, who is chasing an extension of his own after Robinson reset the market.
“We talk a lot. We’re in the same conversation,” Robinson said. “The Bijan-Gibbs debate is actually cool to see. It actually helps us both out. We are always trying to compete against each other.”
Then came a moment that made sense once you know Robinson’s roots. The former Texas standout shared who reached out once the deal went public.
“As soon as the news hit, Matthew McConaughey texted me,” Robinson said.
McConaughey is one of the most visible, diehard Texas Longhorns supporters in the country, so the actor checking in on one of the program’s biggest stars over the last decade tracked perfectly.
He saved his most meaningful thanks for a former coach, however. Robinson credited ex-Falcons offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for making his early years difficult on purpose, forcing him to learn every corner of the offense and special teams as a rookie.
Per Joe Patrick, Smith texted Robinson on the morning he signed, telling him not to spend it all at once, a bit of the coordinator’s trademark dry humor.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Falcons’ Bijan Robinson Makes Honest Jahmyr Gibbs Admission, Opens Up on $75 Million Deal appeared first on HEAVY.