FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Before his third NFL training camp, Bijan Robinson spent a month in Studio City, California, with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. The biggest lesson he learned from the two-time All-Pro? The importance of recovery.
Robinson and McCaffrey spent an ample amount of time on the field, sharing tips and tricks during their sessions. The pair dedicated just as much, if not more attention, to their time off the field. Robinson said they focused a lot on their recovery between workouts, and it's going to be his new standard moving forward.
"His recovery is top notch," Robinson said Wednesday. "He will make sure he's recovered all the way before every training session. He wants to make sure he's feeling 100%. I took that away from him, and now I'm going to start doing the same thing because it's only right to want to make sure your body's at top-tier shape before you go onto the field. No matter what it is, if it's a light day or a hard day, you always want to make sure you're ready to go."
Robinson has a bunch of hard days in his near future, as the Falcons' first training camp practice is scheduled for Thursday. There are 11 open practices, along with three preseason games, before the 2025 regular season officially commences Sept. 7 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It shouldn't be difficult for Robinson to incorporate some of the recovery methods he used with McCaffrey — such as pool work or red-light therapy — now that he's back in Georgia. However, the two also tried something called the "Stratosphere," which was created by a scientist named Bobby Williams. It's an altitude training chamber, and on the cutting edge.
"It's a new innovation, man," Robinson said. "We were 18,000 feet in the air, but we were like in a machine. … It was like the coolest thing ever."
That wasn't the only thing Robinson was impressed with. Simply training alongside McCaffrey was high on his list, too.
"It was really cool, like two guys coming together just trying to make each other better," Robinson said. "He taught me a whole bunch of nuanced moves that I got to learn on the field, and I did the same with him."
Robinson started envisioning a career like McCaffrey's last offseason. He discussed it with Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who directly compared him to the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year when explaining the model for Robinson in 2024.
Their plan worked.
Robinson totaled 1,887 yards from scrimmage last season – fourth most in the league. His 1,456 yards rushing ranked third. He scored 15 touchdowns total – 14 rushing.
"It is without a doubt the mindset that we had going into it, talking about the Christian McCaffrey type role or -esque, and he's going out and being able to do a lot of those things," Morris said last December. "He's done even more than I even had for his expectations when it comes to his pass pro, when it comes to some of the toughness that he brings to our table and when it comes to the mindset that he brings to our team."
Robinson wouldn't share his specific goals for 2025 on Wednesday, only that they are higher than ever. During the offseason program, however, he said he has been working on his explosiveness, turning short runs into longer ones. Once that program wrapped on June 11, he began training with McCaffrey and his brother, Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey.
And of course, there was a team of trainers with them. Because again, the importance of recovery was highly emphasized.
"For me to give it my all," Robinson said, "I have to be in top shape."
